Chinese doctors arrive Nigeria despite hostility

EHIME ALEX, Lagos 

A 15-member team of medical doctors from China have arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to a report by THE NATION, the medical team were received by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire.

The personnel are experts in infectious diseases, respiratory illness, intensive care, cardiology, neurology, general surgery and anesthesiology.

They had arrived with 16-ton test kits, ventilators, disinfection machine, disposable medical masks, drugs, infrared thermometer and other items as ordered by the federal government.

This federal government’s plan to invite the China medical personnel to support the country’s fight against coronavirus was almost devastated by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

The rejection was that the federal government’s decision did not take into consideration the extant laws regulating the practice of medicine in Nigeria as enshrined in the Medical and Dental Council Act.

According to NMA, “This is one such circumstance where the Medical and Dental Council of Nigerian should be consulted to grant necessary approvals to foreigners to interact with Nigerian patients”.

However, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) explained that the Chinese medical team were only coming to share experiences with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and not to directly take charge of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Under the directive of the Embassy of China in Nigeria and in response to the Federal Government’s request, the team will also share with their Nigerian counterparts effective methods on COVID-19 containment.

They are to commence their stay in Nigeria by spending 14 days in quarantine.

(additional report was from The Nation)