We Are Not Going To Meet Or Interact With Chinese Medical Team-NMA

‘It is unethical for them to come to treat our patients’
• Says about 50 doctors in isolation, one dead

The Federal Government, last week, announced that a team of Chinese medical experts will be coming to assist health workers in the frontline to combat COVID-19 in Nigeria. Since then, there have been divergent views on the issue.

Many stakeholders in the country kicked against it. One of the health professionals which rejected the idea is the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA. But on Thursday, the 15-man Chinese team arrived Nigeria. Sunday Vanguard spoke to the President of the NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile, on why his association vehemently rejected the Chinese gesture. Excerpts:

Why is the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, against the Chinese doctors’ visit to Nigeria?

We want to restate that we appreciate every country, individual or corporate organisation, out of its own volition, support for Nigeria in the fight against COVID-19 including the Chinese. We appreciate them, we know that this is a good gesture and we appreciate them and we know that the gesture is not under any compulsion.

However, we became curious when we heard that they will be coming to do support based containment and management of COVID-19 in Nigeria. As it is, the Nigerian health professionals are doing well in the containment of the pandemic. Even the United Nations applauded Nigerian health professionals for being able to come out stiffly to contain COVID-19.