Covid-19: NMA kicks against FG’s plans to invite Chinese experts

…Says it’s ill-timed and of no significance

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has cautioned the Federal Government against inviting experts from China to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The medical body warned that the decision was ill-timed and of no overbearing significance.

In a statement made available to the Daily Times in Abuja on Sunday, the NMA president, Dr. Francis Faduyile, described as unfortunate that membership of the association who are giving their best in the fight against the pandemic were not carried along in arriving at such a decision.

The body in rejecting the invitation of the Chinese doctors urged the Federal Government to instead review and approve better welfare incentives to the frontline medical personnel.

Dr. Faduyile said that lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 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.

He charged the government to instead review and approve better welfare incentives to the frontline medical personnel who he said have been putting in their best since the outbreak of COVID-19.

The statement reads: “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.

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“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 NMA further called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the Health sector and use the opportunity to fix our health institutions as a matter of urgency in a bid to stem the rot.

“The NMA urges the Government to expand the Presidential Task Force to include other critical stakeholders including journalists and the civil society to ensure more robust engagement especially as the decisions of the task force has implications for the health, wealth and security of our country”, the statement added.

It warned that any unwarranted eternal help could allow room for foreigners to manipulate the virus to be more harmful to Nigerians.