COVID-19: FG Finally Speaks On Whereabouts of Chinese Doctors
The Federal Government of Nigeria on Tuesday, May 19, has finally spoken on the whereabouts of about 15 Chinese doctors who came into the country in April to assist in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19, otherwise known as Coronavirus pandemic.
Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Saturday, May 16, had given the All Progressives Congress, APC led government, a 48-hour ultimatum to declare the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team he brought in to assist in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country.
The PDP’s position is predicated on the declaration by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire that he could not account for the whereabouts of the Chinese team, who were brought into the country from the global epicentre of the pandemic.
The 15-member team of Chinese medical personnel arrived in the country on April 8 “to share their experiences in fighting the COVID-19.”
Some Nigerians had kicked against the federal government’s decision to invite the medical experts, saying the country had enough doctors to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has shared the details about the 15 Chinese experts who came into the country in April.
Aregbesola, who was the former Osun governor, says the Chinese experts came into Nigeria on a 30-day visa issued in Beijing and that they are still in the country because there is a restriction on travel occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Declare Chinese Doctors’ Whereabouts Now – PDP Gives Buhari 48-Hour
He spoke during the daily press briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Tuesday.
He said, “Indeed, 15 Chinese nationals came into Nigeria on 8th of April. They are here on the bill of the CCECC, a Chinese company doing some works for us in Nigeria in conjunction with some Nigerian companies they agreed to support us in the effort to respond to the pandemic.
“At Idu isolation centre in Abuja, they participated in retrofitting and equipping the isolation centre.
They equally worked on the Dome project that was handled by the NNPC Construction in conjunction with ThisDay.
“So, those are the locations in which they came to work, both in retrofitting the Iju facility and installing critical essential medical equipment.”