By Audrey Lotechukwu–theG&BJournal
SAT, APRIL 11 2020-theG&BJournal- The Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 has dismissed suggestions that the Chinese medical doctors who arrived the country recently with medical consumables, are already treating coronavirus patients in the country.
‘’I doubt if they are treating Nigerians because they are in quarantine, and they understand they are in quarantine, and I believe they already have arrangements for themselves. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is monitoring them to see that they are in quarantine,’’ the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said Friday during the PTF briefing in Abuja.
The Minister said that the country’s main interest in the Chinese is to seek from the scientific point of view, the actual processes they used in their country and the tactics they applied to halt the dangerous spread of the disease.
He noted the Chinese have suffered the outcome of the pandemic, ‘’they have dealt with it and they will agree that they made some mistakes, developed new strategies and they have various lessons and learning that they have which Nigerian can adapt.’’
‘’For those who have actually had a hands on experience over there on public health issues, if they can help us with the information of how they solved their problem, we shall learn a lot. This is from the point of view of the Ministry of Health.’’ Ehanire said.
The Minister said that he has asked the Chinese to join the daily COVID-19 briefings through video conference while they are here. He said they are preparing translators to help give us the benefit of what they know and answer questions from Nigerians as well.
‘’We also told them that whatever medicines they brought will have to be certified by NAFDAC before Nigerians can take them. But I want to also remind you that what they brought to us are gifts. We did not pay for it and they paid for the transportation,’’ the Minister said, adding that ‘’the advantage of this is that, despite shortages globally, they were able to bring in these items here to support the country.’’
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