COVID-19: NMA, TUC reject Chinese medical team
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have rejected the invitation by the Federal Government of a Chinese medical team to help Nigeria in its coronavirus response.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had disclosed on Friday that gifts of medical supplies were being expected from China, organised by a group of Chinese companies working in Nigeria.
“A special cargo aircraft shall leave Nigeria in a few days to collect the items, which include commodities, PPE and ventilators. Of great interest is an 18 man team of Chinese medical experts, including doctors, nurses and public health advisers, who shall come along with the flight,” the minister had said.
NMA President Dr Francis Faduyile, in a statement yesterday, urged the government to rescind the decision in the overall interest of the country.
He asked the government to declare a state of emergency in the health sector and fix health institutions urgently.
He said association was disappointed that the government neither carried it along in arriving at the decision nor took into cognizance the extant laws regulating the practice of medicine in Nigeria as enshrined in the Medical and Dental Council Act.
He said: “We are therefore profoundly dismayed to learn that the Federal Government is instead inviting the Chinese who from available accounts are not out of the woods themselves. The spike in cases and the death toll from
COVID -19 in Italy coincided with the arrival of the Chinese in the guise of offering assistance. Even the United Nations has only just recently commended the efforts of Nigeria so far.
“It is a great disservice to the morale of the long-suffering frontline health workforce if the government goes ahead to invite these Chinese doctors. The invitation demeans their sacrifices so far in this pandemic. We fail to see how the 18 man team would impact the current efforts in any significant way.”
The NMA president said the lack of personal protective equipment, grossly inadequate test kits and test centres across the country as well as lack of insurance for the workforce were critical issues begging for attention.
Similarly, TUC President Mr
Quadri Olaleye and Secretary General Mr Musa Lawal-Ozigi, in a statement, advised the government not to invite Chinese doctors.
The union leaders said that the move to invite the Chinese doctors was unnecessary, saying that those in Nigeria were on top of the challenge.
According to them, the minimal number of people infected and deaths recorded is a proof that Nigeria is not doing badly in the efforts to handle the situation.
“Truly, the Chinese authorities have done well by not recording more cases in their country; it is novel and also shows their proactiveness and commitment to crises.
“That notwithstanding, we insist that we do not need them now; rather, we shall continue to adhere to precautions by health professionals to make the job easy,” they said.