Chinese Doctors Presence May Become Counter Productive- ULC
By UDO ONYEKA
The United Labour Congress, ULC has said that the importation of the Chinese medical team to the country in the fight against Coronavirus may be counter productive, since the Federal Government did no consult the critical stakeholders in the health sector.
In a statement signed by the ULC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the congress questioned why such crucial decision could be taken by government without wide consultation, bearing in mind that health sector is a highly specialised sector which requires that at all times input of the professional has been beneficial and will continue to be in battle against COVID-19.
ULC said ” We have followed with deep concern the issues surrounding the agreement by the federal government to accept from the Construction giant CCECC the gift of 18 alleged Chinese medical experts to assist us in the battle against the COVID-19 Pandemic. ” More troubling was the statement credited to the SGF that there was no going back on the decision to bring them into the country.
“Once again, we are worried that there is a growing penchant for the nation’s leadership to pander to the whims and caprices of anybody or group in white skin against hard-nosed advice and suggestions from Nigerians.
” It is important that Nigerians are dissuaded from believing that it is only ideas and products that come from China and other countries that receive premium in our leadership perception just like the debate over the Innosson Ventilator and the Chinese Ventilators”, the statement said.
The Congress said many Nigerians pointed out that this may be a Greek-gift “though we do not see it that way but we strongly know that in a world filled with conspiracies, nothing is impossible.”
According to ULC presence of the Chinese could scuttling the overall COVID-19 national response strategy.
“We were told that they came just to offer technical advice while in some others quarters it was saod they are Molecular Biologists who are charged with setting up the proposed Molecular testing centres around the country.
“If these are the reasons, we believe that they could have still done those without coming Nigerian physically.
” Technical advice can be offered and received real time via the internet eliminating the need for their physical presence unless there are other hidden intention which Nigerians were told about”.
The Congress said one of the lessons which the COVID-19 outbreak must teach our nation is the need to grow domestic capacities for engaging all emergencies that do occur from time to time, adding this outbreak offers us the opportunity to grow this capacity by allowing more Nigerian professionals handled most of the challenges that arises out of it.
The ULC said it welcomes the announcement of the N500 billion Health Sector intervention fund by the federal government which is an urgent response to the very yawning gaps identified in the COVID-19 battle.
“We would have loved to see the announced figure tied to specific projects and not just the figure. We want to see the deliverables on the ground so that we can track it effectively and hold focal persons responsible if not provided.
“It is not figures that Nigerians want butHospitals, Medical equipment such as bed spaces, ventilators, more highly trained health professionals, pharmaceutical supplies and other medical consumables”, It said
Further ULC insists on the imperativeness of immediately extending the Palliatives to Nigerian workers as none in the formal sector has received any thing.
