By Mmaduabuchi Onwmelu
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Anambra State Chapter, Comrade (Sir) Humphrey Emeka Nwafor, says that the 2-Day Free Medical Screening to over 1,500 workers in the state was part of the activities geared towards commemorating the 2024 May Day Celebration and also to ensure the physical wellbeing of the workforce.
According to the NLC Anambra State Chapter boss who doubles as the NASU Anambra State Council Chairman, the free medicare was sponsored by the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA).
The two-day screening exercise which took place at the Teachers’ House in Awka had over one thousand, five hundred civil servants present for the screening.
Comrade Nwafor, in an interview with newsmen said, ‘When you give attention to the workers, their productivity output will improve significantly, hence, the engagement with the already established government health insurance scheme,’ he said.
The Labour leader noted that the exercise was in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s blueprint for the health of workers as healthcare needs of over 1,500 civil servants were being cared for.
Earlier in her opening speech, the Anambra State Head of service, Barr. Theodora Igwegbe, stated that one of the challenges they faced as workers in the state was the issue of health.
Her words, ‘If you are not healthy you cannot serve the state properly.’
She appreciated ASHIA and the NLC for coming up with such an idea and encouraged the workers to be careful with their health by going for regular checkups at their various ASHIA hospital.
For his part, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer of ASHIA, Dr Simeon Onyemaechi, said the exercise was aimed at preventing primary and secondary health challenges, as well as scale up efforts in achieving universal health coverage in Anambra State.
The ASHIA boss, Dr Onyemaechi, educated the workers on the need for constant medical checkups, which, he said, was the reason for having health insurance in the first place.
‘You don’t have to pay exorbitant medical bills for your health as the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme has covered the bill for you,’ he said.
He further expressed his excitement with the turnout of about 1,500 workers participating in the screening, noting that the cost that they put in was not wasted, even as he said they were very excited and that the exercise would prevent a lot of diseases and detect a lot more earlier.
Speaking shortly after the exercise, the President of NULGE, Anambra State, Comrade Samson Adigwe, extolled the workers for turning out en-masse for the screening exercise, saying that he was more impressed with the turnout and conduct of the participants. He appreciated the NLC leadership and ASHIA MD/CEO for initiating and carrying out what he described as a commendable exercise.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Elizabeth Okoye, expressed her gratitude to the Anambra State Government, the Head of Service, ASHIA and the NLC for conducting such event, saying that it showed that the state had the welfare of its workers at heart.
