Civil servants in Ogun State have been urged to be intentional about prioritising their physical, mental and social well-being, to enhance productivity and ensure efficient service delivery.

The advice was given during a health and wellness talk titled "Work-Life Balance and Healthy Living for Enhanced Productivity,"  organised by the Ogun State Civil Service Commission, Oke-mosan, to help staffers prioritise their health and remain active during and after service.

Delivering the titled lecture, Deputy Director and Head of Operations, Ogun State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (OGSEMSAS), Dr. Festus Adetonwa, noted the strategic positions that civil servants occupy in policy formulation, policy implementation, public administration and service delivery, would require that they maintain good health at all times because of  the pressure associated with the job,  urging staffers to adopt healthier lifestyles in order to improve their productivity and overall well-being.

    Dr. Adetonwa, revealed that the quest to meet up with deadlines, handling promotion and confirmation exercises, staff placement coupled up with public expectations, inadequate manpower and limited resources often expose workers to physical and emotional stress, which could adversely affect their productivity if not properly managed.

He explained further that, work-life balance goes beyond sharing equal time between work and family, maintaining that it involved making conscious decisions on priorities by maintaining healthy boundaries and preserving enough energy to excel at work, while sustaining personal health and family life.

 He added that poor work-life balance had been linked to hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic back pain, headaches, insomnia, weakened immunity and other non-communicable diseases.

The resource person, encouraged workers to embrace preventive healthcare through regular medical check-ups, adequate sleep, routine physical exercise, healthy nutrition and periodic movement during office hours to avoid the dangers associated with prolonged sitting.

He thereafter demonstrated the correct sitting posture and proper adjustment of office chairs and workstations, stressing the importance of ergonomic furniture in preventing chronic back pain and other workplace-related health challenges.

Dr. Adetonwa, also used the occasion to create awareness about the services of OGSEMSAS reaffirming the Agency's commitment to providing prompt, professional and free 24-hour emergency ambulance services to residents across the State.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mr. Jola Oyeneye, urged the staff to take full advantage of the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency (OGSHIA) in order to have access to quality healthcare.

He described OGSHIA as one of the remarkable people-oriented initiatives of the administration of Gov. Dapo Abiodun, designed to provide accessible and affordable healthcare for public servants and other residents of the State.

 Responding to complaints by some participants over the quality of service from a few healthcare providers under the scheme, Oyeneye stated that the management of OGSHIA had assured workers that no accredited healthcare provider would be allowed to frustrate the objectives of the health insurance scheme through poor service delivery and that every genuine complaint would be investigated with appropriate action taken against erring facilities.