The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has rejected the decision of the Federal Government to import Chinese Doctors into the country to tackle the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
The Minority Caucus in a statement issued by its Leader, Ndudi Elumelu on Tuesday warned that bringing in medical personnel from the epicenter of the dreaded disease will expose the nation to further danger.
The Caucus specifically asked the Federal Government to immediately rescind its decision and jettison all plans to import Doctors from the hotbed of the plague into the country at this critical time.
The minority lawmakers noted 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.”
The Minority Leader urged the Federal Government to note the apprehensions of Nigerians and professional bodies including the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) over the decision.
Elumelu noted that their position followed alleged escalation of the pandemic in certain countries after Chinese doctors were reportedly involved and 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 Nigerians must be paramount and anything that is capable of further jeopardizing their lives must be avoided.
Elumelu however commended Nigerians for their resilience and collaborative effort in fighting the spread of the pandemic in the country.
He urged the people to continue to adhere to health safety procedures of personal hygiene and social distancing as well as being their brother’s keepers at this time, while expressing confidence that with the combined effort of all, the nation will defeat the pandemic.
