A 15-member medical team from China has arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
This is just as the as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charged Nigerians to hold President Muhammadu Buhari responsible should there be any upsurge in the rate of COVID-19 infection and death in our country following the importation of doctors from China, the epicenter of the scourge, by the Buhari-led Federal Government.
The Chinese doctors comprising experts in infectious diseases, respiratory illness, intensive care, cardiology, neurology, general surgery and anesthesiology, came with drugs and medical equipment.
The team arrived in Nigeria in a chartered Air Peace aircraft on Wednesday afternoon and are expected to assist Nigeria in efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehainre was at the airport to receive the medical team.
Staff of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation were also at the airport to welcome them.
The PDP, in rejecting the coming of the Chinese medical team, said in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, that it is alarmed that President Buhari ignored the protests by Nigerians and professional bodies including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and allowed the importation of the Chinese doctors despite warnings that bringing in doctors from the hotbed of the plague will expose our citizens to further risks.
This is even as Nigerians across board have continued to question the status, identity and interest of the Chinese doctors as well as the safety of kits and equipment from China, particularly following scary reports of escalation of the scourge in certain countries reportedly after the arrival of Chinese medical personnel in those countries.
According to the PDP, “our doctors and nurses have been on top of the situation with records of recoveries and less casualties, thus raising questions about the real intentions of bringing in doctors from China. The situation is even more distressing as the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 had been making frantic effort to exonerate itself from the decision to bring in the Chinese doctors into our country.
“The PDP wants President Buhari to note that Nigerians already know the pace, intensity and trajectory of COVID-19 statistics at the time the Federal Government, which he leads, gave passage to these Chinese doctors. Nigerians are aware that since the index case was reported till date, our nation’s COVID-19 data stands at 254 confirmed cases, out of which 44 have been successfully treated by our doctors with 6 deaths, which reportedly had other underlining ailments.
“Our party therefore calls on the entire world to hold President Buhari responsible should there be any sudden upsurge in COVID-19 infection and deaths in our country, now that the Chinese doctors have been brought in despite protests by Nigerians. The PDP however charges Nigerians to be extra vigilant at this time as our party also demands that the Presidential Task Force outlines the states and local governments where the Chinese doctors are expected to operate, to enable Nigerians monitor their activities as well as the aftermath of such activities.”