PRINCE EZE UGOCHUKWU
When we say health is health, it means that health is the greatest asset for a human being and as such, it is not worth living without good health.
On the 4th of May 2023, the Imo State Government activated the Imo Health Insurance Programme.
The Programme is designed to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare for all civil servants and other vulnerable persons living in Imo State.
With this programme, the Imo State Government will be paying a minimum of 80 million Naira every month for free medical treatment for workers at designated hospitals. The only sickness that is not listed is cancer. For any other sickness, Imo workers are covered to go to hospitals that are well-equipped and get treated by doctors that are properly certified.
The demand for health services has led to people becoming poorer in order to stay alive. As a worker continues to fund his health expenses from his take-home salary, the worker is pushed into the vicious cycle of poverty, disease and death. This is what Governor Uzodimma wants to reduce and eventually stop entirely.
Already, the government have successfully enrolled 66,003 vulnerable persons across the 305 electoral wards in Imo State under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
Governor Hope Uzodimma knows the positive values of a healthy workforce and he is committed to improving the health of our public servants.
Apart from the workers themselves, the government of Hope Uzodimma is also working out modalities with the civil service and labour unions on how best to pay and to cover their dependents and household with free medical services.
Finally, it is important to note that Imo State is the first state in Nigeria where the government has committed to full payment for the principal beneficiaries.
Eze Ugochukwu is the Special Adviser to Imo State Governor on Public Enlightenment.