Citing the need for a more modern and efficient policy framework, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced intentions to evaluate and enhance healthcare access for government officials nationwide.
This announcement was made by Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, the Federation’s Head of public Service, at a free medical examination for public servants in Abuja as part of the current festivities of Civil Service Week. Given the demanding nature of their jobs, Walson-Jack underlined the vital need of routine health examinations for government personnel, represented by Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary of the Service Welfare Office.
Oyekunle emphasized the clear connection between workplace efficiency and health, saying, “Anyone with good health will spend less money on hospital visits and will be more productive.”
Many federal personnel praised the timely delivery of test results and the rapid provision of essential prescriptions, indicating that the free medical exercise was well received.
Oyekunle did, however, concede that under the present National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) program, civil servants continue to experience obstacles in obtaining necessary medications and proper care. “These are policy issues,” she said, emphasizing the need for policy reform immediately. It is necessary that we start over and develop a new set of policies. Our current system is antiquated, particularly in light of growing medicine costs.
Read Also: INEC Confirms Application to Register New Coalition Party, ADA
Participants in the program, civil servants, conveyed gratitude for the initiative. Despite the high attendance, Azeez Champion, one of the beneficiaries, commended the event’s flawless execution. “I encourage those who are still in their offices to seize this chance. Wealth is health. Due to sporadic check-ups, we have lost a lot of employees,” he stated.
Eneh Benedict, another participant, talked about her experience, saying that the examination made her aware of elevated blood pressure, which she had not known existed. Benedict thanked the Head of Service for the initiative and urged its continuation, noting, “I have been given medication, and it has already started improving.”
The health program was available to all public officials, not just those in the HCSF, according to Dr. Longbap Dinfa, Assistant Director at the Wellness Center, Office of the Head of public Service of the Federation. He mentioned the variety of tests that were performed, such as blood pressure, diabetes, typhoid, malaria, and hepatitis B and C screenings.
During the examination, we found multiple cases of malaria-typhoid, peptic ulcer, and undetected hepatitis. A woman who collapsed on Sunday was treated right away and is now stable, according to Dr. Dinfa. He recommended all federal officials to prioritize routine medical check-ups and said that more complicated cases were referred to the National Hospital for expert care.
At a time when medicine prices are on the rise and worries about the sufficiency of the current health insurance program are mounting, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to healthcare reform for public personnel.
