The row over the invitation of a Chinese medical team to help contain the spread of coronavirus has deepened.
The government said on Friday that an 18-member Chinese team is expected in Nigeria to give technical support.
It explained on Monday that the team’s visit would be at no cost to Nigeria and that the experts would build local capacity.
The Federal Government also clarified that the doctors were invited by a Chinese company in Nigeria which will pay the bill.
But, Senate Committee on Special Duties Chairman Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf said the pandemic’s effect had not reached the stage that requires the invitation of Chinese doctors.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also opposed the visit, saying the government should rather look inwards.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council wondered why Nigeria chose to invite doctors from China rather than India or Cuba.
House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the Chinese doctors must first be quarantined for 14 days on arrival.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) described the invitation of the doctos as “ill-timed” and inappropriate.
NMA noted that “the spike in cases and the death toll from COVID-19 in Italy coincided with the arrival of the Chinese in the guise of offering assistance.”
Senator Yusuf, who represents Taraba Central Senatorial District, told reporters in Abuja that the timing of the Chinese doctors’ visit was not right.
“There are a lot of scepticisms about Chinese doctors, about Chinese products, including sanitisers.
“People think that there is connivance. For me, it is not the best time to allow the Chinese doctors to come in unless it has gone beyond our control, and in my view, the situation has not gone beyond our control.”
NANS, in a statement by its Zone B (Southsouth/Southeast) Coordinator, Comrade Jeremiah Ohomah, said Nigeria should rather invest in its health infrastructure and personnel than to seek external help from the Chinese.
“We wish to state that if the Federal Government goes ahead to welcome foreigners from China, the Nigerian students will not hesitate to parade the streets in the negation of such action by the government.
“There is a need to develop our own. Let’s train our own and build on what we have. This will promote independence, rather than dependence on external reach,” NANs said.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, in a statement by its President-General Okechukwu Isigusoro, and Secretary-General Nnabuike Okwu, said the invitation was not well-thought out.
The group feared that the Chinese personnel would “escalate the situation of the coronavirus pandemic.”
“We vehemently condemn the invitation of these ‘insincere’ Chinese doctors but insist that if we are in dire need for foreign medical assistance, the destination should be India or Cuba,” the group said.
Gbajabiamila, speaking at a meeting with the Minister of State for Health Adeleke Mamora and the House leadership, said the Chinese medical personnel must undergo the necessary checks on arrival.
He said: “There are a lot of complaints about why we are bringing in Chinese doctors.
“It is incumbent on us, as lawmakers, to intervene, following the concerns of our constituents to understand the issues and get the right information to them.
“We must protect the Nigerian people, and every opportunity to increase our knowledge will not be thrown away.
“Having listened to you, what we are taking away from this meeting is that Nigeria needs this intervention from the Chinese. But you have to make it mandatory that they observe all the protocols laid down for the disease.
“As you have explained that they won’t have direct contact with Nigerian patients, you have to make sure that they go through our official immigration laws and they have to get work permit waivers because they are coming here to work.
“Also, they have to be quarantined for 14 days as stipulated by the protocol, and you have to educate Nigerians about this to avoid misconceptions. We have laws and they must be complied with.”
Mamora explained that the Chinese doctors were mainly experts in molecular laboratory testing, adding that Nigeria currently has only two indigenous experts in the field.
According to him, the Chinese doctors were expected to help in setting up molecular laboratories around the country and to upgrade and reconfigure existing ones.
He emphasised that the Chinese medical personnel would not have direct contact with patients.
Clarifying that there was no financial implication to Nigeria, Mamora said there was little option than to accept the offer.
He said: “Case testing is the bulk of work because some people are asymptomatic, so we need faster and rapid test kits and processing. We are doing molecular testing that helps us know the viral load as well.
“We need to expand our testing labs across the country. Currently, we have two lab scientists in molecular testing, serving seven labs across the country.
“As we are expanding across the country, we need more people to be trained in molecular testing for faster results.”
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, at the briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said the Chinese doctors were coming at the instance of Chinese companies in Nigeria.
He said: The Chinese experts “are expected to arrive in Nigeria in a few days with a consignment of globally scarce medical supplies, to augment government efforts and build capacity to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The donation by Chinese companies in Nigeria includes personal protective equipment (PPE), medical consumables, over one million surgical masks for health workers and even ICU ventilators, valued at over $100,000, all sourced in the face of the global scarcity of these items.
“The Chinese medical experts, comprising doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and public health managers will share their knowledge, skills and real-life experience of fighting COVID-19 with Nigerian personnel to strengthening management of COVID-19 cases, especially with regard to critical care,” he said.
Ehanire said the initiative would build the capacity of Nigerian healthcare workers at the forefront of fighting COVID-19.
“The much-needed PPEs and masks will protect our frontline workers and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the line of duty”.
Also speaking at the briefing, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, who chairs the taskforce, said: “All the countries of the world are seeking assistance and are receiving help in the fight against COVID-19. Even the almighty United States (U.S.) is looking for help elsewhere.
“The support coming from China is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by CCECC, a company with a total value of infrastructure contracts worth $10 billion in Nigeria.
“The professionals that have been invited by CCECC, through their parent company in China, are public health specialists and medical engineers that will support Nigeria’s capacity in managing the pandemic on an advisory basis when necessary.
“In no way shall there be case management and interface with patients. They will train our manpower, advise on procedures and methods, install and test the equipment donated before handing them over.
“I, therefore, use this medium to appeal to our medical professionals to see the positive aspects of this gesture as an extension of development in the field of medicine.
“The PTF recognises and respects the competence and capability of Nigerian doctors and other medical personnel.
“This is a state of war against the coronavirus and time should not be devoted to unhelpful controversies.”