Opposition Parties Reject FG’s Plan to Invite Chinese Doctors

Opposition Parties Reject FG’s Plan to Invite Chinese Doctors

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has rejected the move by the presidency to bring in Chinese doctors to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

CUPP in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, described it as unnecessary, done in bad faith and a direct expression of loss of confidence on Nigerian medical health workers who have risked their lives despite the huge constraints they face to do a marvelous job of treating patients of the deadly virus with a high success rate.

The opposition parties said the timing of the coming of the Chinese doctors is very suspicious, and in violation of the laws as well as a distraction of the good work being done so far.

CUPP advised that rather than import the doctors, the government should show support to the Nigerian doctors by providing adequate and sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for them to ensure they are safe while doing their job.

According to the statement, “We ask the presidency why it is not working with our Nigeria Medical and Dental Council in line with the provisions of the law before coming to the ill-timed decision to invite Chinese doctors.

“Will these doctors not infiltrate our system and conduct unknown clinical trials on patients?
“The arrival of Chinese doctors in Italy unfortunately coincided with the spike in contracting the virus and death rate in that country. It could be a mere coincidence, but since the spike, what have these Chinese doctors done to improve situations in Italy with the thousands of deaths that have occurred since then.

“Are the Chinese doctors going to come to help us ramp up our recovery rate which is very high at the moment or are they coming to know why we are not dying like chickens like in the United States, Spain, Italy, France and other countries? What will be their true mission? Who has run a real background check on these doctors to ascertain their latent intention? The pandemic is still killing people in China. They are still grappling with it. Where were these Chinese doctors when thousands of their citizens died from the virus?

“The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) did not ask for the help neither are we aware that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made a request for the Chinese doctors. The director-general of the NCDC did not also claim that he did not get adequate experience from his recent visit to China. We stand with the NMA that has rejected this move, and indeed all Nigerians should reject the move now.”

CUPP added that Nigerians would have no other options but to hold the president responsible if these Chinese doctors arrive and the situation gets worse or if there are messy reports about unapproved action by the doctors.

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