Amid pressure from stakeholders that their presence amounted to a security risk, the federal government has disclosed that the team of medical experts from China who arrived Nigeria to help the country fight the deadly coronavirus has begun a 14-day isolation and would be tested for COVID-19.
The FG also said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would ensure the quality of the medical supplies they brought into the country, facilitate distribution, and coordinate engagements with Nigerian health professionals.
Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, who revealed this in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said the delegation consisted of doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians who would help strengthen testing and management of COVID-19 cases, especially those in need of critical care.
He said the team would not treat patients but instead conduct capacity building based on its experience. The mission will also strengthen response in Nigeria based on lessons learnt in China. “The Chinese medical team will provide first-hand experience and insight into how they were able to bring the spread of the disease under control. As at April 8, Nigeria has recorded 276 cases across several states with six deaths and 44 persons discharged. In addition to providing expertise, the donation provides medical supplies to augment the efforts of the government towards containing the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria.”
According to the minister, “The donors, a group of Chinese companies working in Nigeria, made this gesture in a show of solidarity and cooperation with the Nigerian government as the world works together to contain this disease which has disrupted the lives of many.” Ehanire said the donation included medical equipment, consumables, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), over one million medical masks, ventilators, and other items valued at over $1,300,000.
“The PPE will also serve to protect frontline workers and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the line of duty.The Federal Ministry of Health, on behalf of the Federal Government, appreciates this gesture from the Chinese community in Nigeria, recognising that collaboration, knowledge sharing, and expert insight are critical in the fight against coronavirus. All available resources shall be deployed to support the adequate engagement of Nigerian medical experts towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria,”the minister added.
This came as a former vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Issa Aremu, yesterday urged Nigerians to shun what he described as “China-phobia” in the fight against COVID-19. According to him, “The point cannot be overstated that China has successfully contained the virus which first broke out in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December last year. Nigeria would therefore benefit from their effective methods and advice on the use of relevant medical equipment.”
In a statement in Kaduna, Aremu said while the concern of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) was legitimate, questioning the support of China was unhelpful because according to him, the pandemic is a matter of life and death for all countries. Aremu nevertheless stressed that the concerns of critical stakeholders like NMA and the organised labour should be addressed through collective engagement. The NMA and other health bodies in Nigeria had argued that bringing in a Chinese medical team could dampen the morale of local health workers, some of who have been at the frontlines despite poor wages and equipment.