By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A civil society group, Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET), has hailed the State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, for offering free Health Insurance to the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)-compliant commuters in the State.

The laudable development which was revealed in a statement by the Commissioner for information, Sir Paul Nwosu, said, "Moving forward, every compliant commercial bus driver will get a free Health Insurance cover that would enable the insured have access to basic health and emergency services in any Anambra State Hospital."

The platform which consists of Citizens and Non-State Actors' stakeholders with Prince Chris Azor as the Chairman, described the gesture as very thoughtful and unprecedented.

Azor who doubles as Non-State Actors’ Co-chair, Open Government Partnership (OGP) in the state, said “this is the first of its kind in the State and deserves commendation.”

While urging the Governor to extend the same gesture to other less privileged and vulnerable people in the society, he stressed that “the gesture is a Social Protection strategy.”

The Chairman further appealed to Soludo to redeem his promise of onboarding a Social Protection Policy in the state, saying that it would institutionalize social security and welfare of citizens as is obtainable in other climes.

Earlier, the Managing Director and CEO Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi, had showered encomiums on Governor Soludo, saying the Initiative would end patronage of unauthorised Drug Vendors in the State.

He added: “This is one of the best ways of integrating the informal sector into the scheme’s pool which further advances our march to achieving universal health coverage.”

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