The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has completely rejected the Federal Government’s move to bring in Chinese doctors into Nigeria to help in containing the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

According to a statement made available to newsmen weekend in Abuja, the NMA President, Dr. Francis Faduyile lamented that despite recent commendations from the United Nations over Nigeria’s efforts in combating the virus; it was unfortunate that the Nigeria government was still considering inviting the Chinese medical team whose intervention in Italy rather than help matters worsened the situation.

He noted there was a large pool of unemployed or underemployed General Medical and Specialist Practitioners who could be gainfully engaged by government instead of bringing in foreigners who aside from national security concerns may not be conversant with the nation’s culture, terrain and other peculiar challenges.

He added that, “The Association notes with grave concern that the Government did not take into consideration the extant laws regulating the practice of medicine in Nigeria as enshrined in the Medical and Dental Council Act. This is one of such circumstance where the Medical and Dental Council of Nigerian should be consulted to grant necessary approvals to foreigners to interact with Nigerian patients.

“The Association believes that this invitation is ill-timed and of no significance considering that whatever experiences the Chinese have can be shared by digital technology through conferencing bearing in mind that Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has only just returned from China. 

” In rejecting the invitation of the Chinese doctors, the NMA said it would instead urge the Federal Government to review and approve better welfare incentives to the front line medical personnel,  provision of adequate personal protective equipment, opening and properly equipping more isolation centres and health facilities across the country would be  an excellent first step. Deploying more resources to facilitate testing as we are beginning to witness community transmission of COVID 19 is equally a better application of scarce resources.

The Association used the opportunity to again call on the government to urgently declare a state of emergency in the Health sector and equally use this period of the global pandemic to fix health facilities across the country.

He lamented that the lack of insurance for health workers, lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), grossly inadequate test kits and test centres nationwide were urgent issues begging for attention at this time.

While calling on the government to rescind its decision to bring in Chinese medical team, 

The NMA said it would not hesitate to review 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.