Moses Emorinken, Abuja
THE Federal Government on Sunday received hard knocks from medical doctors for inviting an 18-man Chinese team of health experts to aid its fight against COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
The doctors said the action which they described as “embarrassing and ill-timed,” could make them withdraw their services if not halted.
The doctors, who spoke under the umbrella of the Nigeria Medical Association(NMA) and Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), warned that the invitation was capable of undermining their efforts and expertise as frontline healthcare workers risking their lives to check the spread of the virus.
The NMA which lamented that it received the news of the invitation of the Chinese with “great dismay,” called the Federal Government’s attention to the experience of Italy when welcomed Chinese medical team with open hands.
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It said in a statement that the government should rather address the grossly inadequate test kits and test centres in the country as well as the lack of insurance for health workers than inviting the Chinese.
NMA President Dr. Francis Faduyile said: “The association received the news of the intention of the Federal Government of Nigeria to invite Chinese doctors into the country at this time of a global pandemic with great dismay and utter disappointment.
“It is a thing of embarrassment to the membership of the association and other health workers who are giving their best in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic under deplorable working conditions, and a fragile health system to be subjected to the ignominy of not being carried along in arriving at such a decision.
“The lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), grossly inadequate test kits and test centres across the country, and the absolute lack of any form of insurance for the workforce are primordial issues begging for attention at this time.
“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 NMA would loathe reviewing her participation in the fight against COVID-19 considering the grave implications and the risk to the lives of her members should the Government go ahead with this ill-thought-out invitation at this time.
“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 advised that instead of inviting the Chinese, whatever experiences the they have can be shared by digital technology through conferencing.
It added that the government did not put into consideration, the extant laws regulating the practice of medicine in the country, especially when it failed to consult with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigerian (MDCN) to grant necessary approvals to foreigners to interact with Nigerian patients.
“The association is aware of a large pool of General Medical and Specialist Practitioners who are either unemployed or underemployed that can be engaged instead of bringing foreigners who aside from national security concerns may not be conversant with our culture, terrain and peculiar challenges.
“We are not averse to the donation of equipment and supplies because we can always do with such support as even the developed countries receive support.
“In rejecting the invitation of the Chinese doctors, the NMA would instead urge the Federal Government to review and approve better welfare incentives to the frontline medical personnel.”
It also urged the government to expand the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to include other critical stakeholders like journalists and the civil society to ensure more robust engagement.
The association said it expects the government to rescind the decision in the overall interest of the country.
NARD, an affiliate of NMA, said in a statement, that it was puzzled that the government did not discuss with its parent body (NMA_ before inviting the Chinese.
The statement by its President Dr. Sokomba Aliyu, said: “We find it rather curious that our government would contemplate to throw open her international borders to Chinese nationals having watched how similar action in Italy proved socio-economically suicidal.
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