The Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has offered free medical insurance to all road transport workers who have judiciously and consistently paid their levies to the government.
The free health insurance was said to be insulated from the usual premiums paid by beneficiaries of the health insurance scheme in the state.
The Managing Director (MD),and Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi made this known to journalists in Awka.
Onyemaechi said that the health and well-being of the citizenry was of utmost importance to the governor .
According to him, the governor recognised the hazardous nature of road transport business; hence he offered free medical services to transporters who are up-to-date in their financial obligations to the state.
The ASHIA MD noted that the implication of the free health insurance for road transport workers was to enable them to walk into any hospital under ASHIA for medical attention free of charge irrespective of the nature of treatment.
He said that government was looking beyond using the levies paid by road transport workers for road infrastructure, facility upgrades, others instead the government is thinking in the direction of the individual who is paying his levies because he is exposed to the hazards of road accidents, ill-health and would not want to go to the hospital to spend money on medical checkups.
“The government of Professor Soludo has said to road transport workers that because you pay your levies to government, government has offered you free medical services that will cover their health needs including the event of road traffic accidents which includes surgeries for fractures, internal fixations and other very expensive orthopedic surgeries resulting from road mishaps.
“Government has made it clear that so long as they paid their levies as and when due, it will take care of their health needs through the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency irrespective of the cost implications.”
Dr Onyemaechi said that the agency has commenced enrollment for road transport workers and that no fewer than 200 persons have been enrolled into the State health insurance scheme.
It is worthy of note that the first batch of 200 enrollees, began to go to hospitals for free medical services from December 1, 2022.
Lateefah Ibrahim
