The document discusses the role of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in rural India as part of the National Rural Health Mission, including their responsibilities to promote health, provide basic care, and facilitate access to services; it proposes providing ASHAs with basic tablet devices called "Saharas" to help with tasks like registration, record keeping, and setting reminders in order to make their jobs easier.

1. SAHARAAn aid for good cause
“ A tablet device for Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) for helping them in their
work for National rural health mission ”

2. National Rural Health Mission
The national rural health mission (2005-12) seeks to provide effective health care to the rural population
throughout the country with special focus on 18 states, which have weak public health indicators and/or
weak infrastructure.
These 18 States are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,Himachal Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan,
Sikkim,Tripura, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.
One of the key components of the National Rural Health Mission is to provide every village in the country
with a trained female community health activist called Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA).
The ASHA will be an interface between the Community and the public health system.

3. Accredited Social Activist (ASHA)
ASHA must primarily be a woman resident of the village, married/ widowed/ divorced, preferably in the
age group of 25 to 45 years.
She should be a literate woman with formal education up to class eight. This may be relaxed only if no
suitable person with this qualification is available.
ASHA will be chosen through a rigorous process of selection involving various community groups,
self-help groups, Anganwadi Institutions, the Block Nodal officer, District Nodal officer, the village Health
Committee and the Gram Sabha.
ASHA will have to undergo series of training episodes to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and
confidence for performing her spelled out roles.
Empowered with knowledge and a drug-kit to deliver first-contact healthcare, every ASHA is expected to
be a fountainhead of community participation in public health programmes in her village.
ASHA has to take the village women to nearest Primary Health care center in case of emergency, also for
routine check ups and immunization of infants.
ASHA calls the women in her village ones in a month to educate them about the health and nutrition.
Also she counsels the individual woman when she goes for their registration.

4. Roles and Responsibilities of ASHA
ASHA will be the first port of call for any health related demands of deprived sections of the population,
especially women and children, who find it difficult to access health services.
She would be a promoter of good health practices and will also provide a minimum package of curative
care as appropriate and feasible for that level and make timely referrals.
ASHA will mobilise the community and facilitate them in accessing health and health related services
available at the Anganwadi/sub-centre/primary health centers, such as immunisation, Ante Natal
Check-up (ANC), Post Natal Check-up supplementary nutrition, sanitation and other services being
provided by the government.
“ ASHA counseling women of her village about the
importance of health and nutrition, making them
aware about the common infectious diseases and
immunization services available at health centers.”

5. Data Analysis

6. About Sahara
After having the detailed understanding of the lifestyle of ASHA and her tasks and responsibilities, we thought
of coming up with some product which could help her and reduce her task. Currently there are few ASHA
workers who have started using mobiles for communication with doctors and midwives.
So we thought that as they are familiar with the electronic devices, we should provide them with a cheap tablet
which would be meant only for these ASHA workers. These tablets can be provided to them by National Rural
Health Mission.
The tablet will assist ASHA in registering, keeping records and reminders, thus making her job easy. Hence the
name ‘Sahara’.

7. Task List
Main Task : To register a new entry in Village development plan.
Sub Tasks
1. Unlock the Sahara device.
2. Select‘Registration’option from Main Menu
3. Select‘Village health plan’
4. The device will take you to the registration form.
5. Enter Adhar card number if available.
6. Press‘Done’to save the demographic data and screen will move to next page of registration.
7. If Adhar card is not present, enter the demographic data manually.
8. Press‘Done’to save the demographic data and screen will move to next page of registration.
9. Enter‘Maternal data and press ’Done’to save it.
10. Enter the‘Child details’which is optional and press‘Done’to save the entries.
11.After this the device will give you feedback and ask you to appointment date and time. Press‘OK’
12.Select the available date from the calender displayed. Press‘Confirm’
13.Device will give you feedback about date confirmation. Press‘OK’
14. Select the time from the drop down menus. Press‘Confirm’
15. The device give the feedback about the reminder being set for new entry.

8. Interactions for given Task List
Select the‘Registration’

9. Select the‘Village Health Plan’

10. Fill the required fields and press‘Done’to continue to next page

14. By pressing‘OK’ You are done with the
registration process of new entry in
Village development plan.
This how the device will remind you
about your task.

15. To view other reminders , select‘Reminder’
option from the main menu.