Coronavirus: Chinese Doctors, equipment arrive Nigeria
The Chinese medical personnel and equipment have arrived Nigeria to assist the government tackle the coronavirus pandemic, despite disapproval from some Nigerians and health workers’ groups, that Federal Government should not engage them.
Penpushing reports that, the Presidential Task Force made this known through the Minister of State of Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora while briefing journalists on Wednesday, but the Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire, was not in attendance at the briefing because he reportedly went to receive them.
The Minister of State of Health, at the briefing, said the experts are in Nigeria alongside the equipment needed to curb the virus, while earlier his boss had announced that the medical experts would be coming into the country to support fight against the disease, adding that the experts would be sharing their experience after making progress in the fight.
The Penpushing Media with stakeholders across the globe had earlier cautioned the Nigerian Government against proposed engagement of the Chinese Doctors in handling and proffering solutions to the ravaging coronavirus in the country.
The caution note was contained in a communiqué issued after a roundtable dialogue on Saturday, April 4, endorsed by the Editorial Board stressing that, doing that will amount to rubbishing the efforts of the indigenous Doctors in curtailing the spread, as commended by the United Nations and World Health Organisation(WHO)
‘The participants noted that the federal government announcement of the expected arrival of a Chinese medical team is coming at a time when the UN and the WHO have acknowledged with praise Nigeria’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as worthy of emulation by other nations’, the communiqué emphasised.
Penpushing further reports that, the dialogue also noted with concern the role to be played by the Chinese in the spread of the new coronavirus, and it therefore expressed apprehensions that the arrival of the Chinese medical team might jeopardise successes already recorded locally in checkmating the spread of the disease.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the same vein, earlier expressed its dissatisfaction with the move, describing the move as “a thing of embarrassment to the membership of the association and other health workers who are giving their best in the fight against the pandemic under deplorable working conditions.”
Penpushing also reports that, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in similar vein advised the federal government against the plan, saying it was unnecessary to invite Chinese doctors as Nigeria was already handling the crisis effectively.
