The Nigerian Medical Association and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives have warned the Federal Government against the plan to invite 18 medical experts from China.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had, during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Friday, said a Nigeria Air Force plane would depart Nigeria for China to bring medical supply and the experts in response to the virus.

But in separate interviews with in Abuja, the NMA and the NANNM expressed their reservation about the move.

The NMA President, Dr Francis Faduyile, said when NMA leadership met the minister, there was no discussion about hiring foreign experts.

He said that the minister needed to explain to Nigerians if the Chinese would be in 14-day isolation since they would be coming from a highly infected country.

Francis said,

“The question that comes to mind is what happens to the national protocol on people coming into the country. The policy is that everybody coming from abroad, especially countries with high cases like China, must undergo 14 days isolation. When these people come, will they go into self-isolation for 14 days before they start working?

“If they are medical practitioners, are they going to apply for registration to work from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria? These are issues that beg for answers that the minister should put in public place.”

Also, Faduyile, in a statement on Sunday said the NMA members were making a huge sacrifice to respond to the deadly disease despite the absence of adequate personal protective equipment to work within hospitals.

Faduyile warned that coronavirus death toll in Italy rose after Chinese medical experts arrived in the country to offer assistance.

He stated,

“The association believes that this invitation is ill-timed and of no overbearing significance considering that whatever experiences the Chinese have can be shared by digital technology through conferencing bearing in mind that Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu (NCDC Director General) has only just returned from China. We are not averse to the donation of equipment and supplies because we can always do with such support.”

Also, President of the NANNM, AbdlRauf Adeniji, said the minister was repeating the mistake that militated against Nigeria’s health system.

He said,

“Our problem in Nigeria is that we have never learnt any lesson from experience. We do the same thing the same way and get the same result. Somebody is repeating the process.

“What we suffer in this country is maladministration of the resources we have. What have we done with the health personnel we have on ground? The minister of health and the agents working with him should always weigh what they want to tell the public.

“If they want to bring in people from China, we need to know which area they are coming to fill. When we have not taken stock of what we have, how do we know what we need?

A group, under the aegis of Indigenous People of Niger Delta, has warned the government against any move to invite Chinese doctors into the country under any guise to treat patients of coronavirus pandemic.

The group’s warning was contained in a statement by its President, Prince Tiemo Pumokumo and addressed to the Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; the governors of Niger Delta states and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.