Right to Psychological Care : Engaging ‘untrained’ ASHAs opposed.

Say untrained ASHA workers shouldn’t be entrusted with counselling Psychology students from various colleges under the University of Kerala have come out against the Health Department’s decision to use the services of ASHA workers, rather than the hundreds of persons trained in providing psychological care to people, in its anti-depression counselling centres. The students staged a march to the Secretariat on Friday and called upon the government not to leave counselling for depressed persons to untrained persons like ASHA workers. There were several colleges in the State that trained students in psychological counselling. That being the case, the Health Department should give the opportunity to the trained hands rather than the ASHA workers who would not be capable of providing counselling with familiarisation lasting just 10 days, they said in a statement.