The Chinese medical team announced by the Nigerian government has just arrived in the country after being in other countries in Africa. Their transport is all paid for by a Chinese company in Nigeria, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
CCECC also made donations of medical supplies to Nigeria as they did with Algeria. The supplies will help Nigeria increase its testing capacity.
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While the minister presents that development to Nigerians as luck, many people think it is a cover for something bigger. The Minister of Health in Nigeria, Dr Osagie Ehanireearlier said:
“It is particularly pacifying that in the face of all of this, we are able to get these supplies here, which even if we had the money, we would not have been able to order”.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), as well as the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors(NARS), condemned the idea. They consider it discrediting to them even though the experts are said to be in Nigeria for advice only.
The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) also consider it a threat and improper. They have also cited the spike in Italy after the Chinese team arrived there.
Things turned complex regarding the arrival of the Chinese medical team in Africa as the NCDC claim that fund infrastructure and humans resources are limited. NCDC Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu made a statement saying that “We are not just limited by funds and infrastructure, but the biggest limitation is human resources; the people that are already trained in bio-nuclear diagnostic testing”.
Test kits and medical supplies sent to Nigeria by the Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma is still under validation. According to Ihekweazu, it will be in circulation after that. The billionaire also sent test kits to the United States in March. However, the NCDC said that the supplies need to be scrutinized first as Chinese kits are said to be contaminated.
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