BY LEVI JOHNSON
Minority Leader of the House of Representative Ndudi Elumelu has cautioned the Federal Government to jettison the idea of importing Chinese medical doctors into the country to assist fight the deadly coronavirus.
Elumelu in a statement in Abuja said that bringing medical personnel from the epicentre of the dreaded disease will expose Nigerians to further danger.
He charged the Federal Government to immediately rescind the decision and all plans to import almost two dozen doctors from the hotbed of the plague into the country at this critical time.
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The government said on Monday it never officially invited the Chinese Doctors, and that it was an offer by a group of Chinese companies in the country as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The opposition members of the House expressed the belief that Nigerian doctors and nurses are doing well so far in managing the scourge, and expressed fears that “bringing in Chinese medical personnel, whose status, intentions and scope cannot be easily ascertained and controlled is totally against our national interest”
Elumelu said the Federal Government should take note of the apprehensions of Nigerians and professional bodies including the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) over the decision in view of alleged escalation of the pandemic in certain countries after Chinese doctors were reportedly involved in management in addition to widespread trepidations over the safety of medical equipment and kits from China at this point in time.
The Minority leader stressed that at such critical time, the safety and wellbeing of our citizens must be paramount and anything that is capable of further jeopardizing their lives must be avoided.
Elumelu commended Nigerians for their resilience and collaborative effort in fighting the spread of the pandemic in the country and urged them to continue to adhere to health safety procedures of personal hygiene and social distancing.
