Governor Hope Uzodimma has approved free medical services for all workers in Imo State.

He said this is part of government’s efforts to ensure that the civil servants are positioned to do their work well.

The governor also assured the civil servants who are due for promotion to brace up for it as his government will soon unveil their names.

Besides, the shortfall in the number of teachers required by the Imo State Education Management Board (SEMB) will soon be a thing of the past as Uzodimma promised to engage more teachers.

The free Social Health Insurance Scheme for more than 47,000 Imo State civil servants, the plan to elevate those of them due for promotion among others, were the highpoints of a townhall meeting between Uzodimma and top management staff of the Imo State workforce on Tuesday.

The meeting which was at the instance of the governor involved Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Directors of Ministries, Heads of Parastatals, Chairman of Imo State Internal Revenue Service and the General Manager of Imo Data Centre.

It was also an opportunity for the governor, the heads of ministries, departments and agencies of government, to review complaints by workers about non-payment of salary and how to foster a better working relationship between workers and political appointees in the interest of the State.

When the governor was informed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Success Prosper-Ohayagha that it will cost the state government about N500 million annually to pay for medical services for all verified workers in Imo State under the Social Health Insurance Scheme, the governor told him to consider it done, a promise that attracted instant thunderous jubilation at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Chambers, venue of the meeting.

The governor had directed the Commissioner for Health and the General Manager of Imo State Social Health Insurance Scheme to immediately commence the process of getting all verified workers into the net for the free medical scheme.

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By the free medical service, verified workers in Imo – both at the State and Local Government – are to get treated of any kind of ailment in the government or designated private hospitals, except those not listed in the scheme.

Also, after taking contributions from top civil servants on why their promotion is delayed, Governor Uzodimma assured that the matter is already being attended to and that the list will soon be unveiled.

He said the economic realities of the moment and the need to bring back the dignity of labour in the civil servants make it compelling that their welfare is taken a notch higher.

Uzodimma used the opportunity to brief the top civil servants on why some of their personnel have issues with their salary.

He obliged them with records indicating that some civil servants have continued to compromise the Data Centre payroll system, by earning pay either as retired, absconded, ghost or deceased workers.

Uzodimma said “civil servants without discrepancies are paid regularly”.

He, however, regretted that records from Data Centre showed that 1,593 persons receive salary as retired, absconded, deceased or even ghost workers, with “446 of them receiving double salaries with different bank accounts.”

The Head of Service, Barr. Raymond Ucheoma, described the free medical service as “historic landmark” that cannot be forgotten.

The Star