A former Minister of Sports and youth development, Barr. Solomon Dalung has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the outcry of majority of Nigerians who are against the presence of Chinese doctors in the country to treat COVID-19 patients.
The former minister who spoke in an audio message obtained by WikkiTimes in Bauchi on Thursday called on the federal government to send them back to China, saying that their mission will not be accomplished because Nigerians are already scared of them.
“Because majority of Nigerians have lost confidence in the Chinese people, the presence of their doctors will further worsen the COVID-19 crisis in the country”. He noted.
“I am speaking on the arrival of 15 Chinese doctors to Nigeria who landed in Abuja today amidst opposition by various associations of health workers in the country against their presence, where majority of Nigerians have kicked against bringing them into the country to take part in the fight against COVID-19”, the former minister explained.
According to him, the coming of the Chinese doctors despite concerted efforts put by Nigerian doctors to contain the spread of the disease is not good for Nigeria and its people.
“Nigerians have demonstrated patriotism; they have rallied round their governments at all levels in the fight against the disease which emanated from China to the rest of the world and into our country, hence the need for Nigerian government to rescind its decision on the Chinese doctors”, Dalung opined.
Dalung maintained that Nigerians have shown their zeal through the use of their wealth where different kinds of donations have been made in a collective quest to help the government curb the disease.
“Because of this patriotism and the zeal to fight the disease by Nigerians, government should have listened to the outcry of its people by not bringing in Chinese doctors into the country”. He said.
Dalung noted that there are indications that Nigerian people will not trust the Chinese doctors even if they were accompanied by angels.
The former minister said any Nigerian who has contracted the Coronavirus disease may even die a premature death upon sighting the Chinese doctors because they don’t believe in them.
“Honestly speaking, our people are scared of them not because of this disease alone but their attitude of causing damage in many countries of the world, this make people to dislike them”.
Dalung who likens the action of the federal government to ‘handing over a woman in labour in the hand of a witch midwife’ said chances are that the woman or the baby might not survive.
“What the federal government should do is to listen to the voice of Nigerians by rejecting these Chinese doctors and make good use of the indigenous doctors who we believe are capable of solving the heath problems of Nigerians”. He admonished.
“We have many doctors who have graduated that are not working, we have retired doctors, we have midwives, we have nurses, we have a lot of them, let the Nigerian government call them to duty where ever they are, give them the training to enable us contain this disease ourselves without inviting outsiders whom are believed to be the brains behind the deadly disease”. The ex- sports and youth minister said.
Dalung who argued that the disease does not require foreigners to come and fight it for Nigerians maintained that the country is capable of containing it.
Dalung who wondered why China which is among the countries suspected to have a hand in the emergence of the disease can now bring its doctors to Nigeria to curtail its spread, called on the federal government to ensure thorough investigation of donations emanating from China before accepting them.
“What we have been hearing is that most of these kind of items donated to some countries were even aimed at further spreading the disease into Africa so that they will occupy our resources. So, the coming of Chinese doctors to Nigeria is not welcome and the government of Nigeria should order them back to their country”. Dalung pointed out.
“We thanked them for coming but let them go back, the issue of 14 days self-corantined by those Chinese doctors is needless, let them just go back, Nigerian people don’t need them. We will fight and win the war ourselves”, he added.
The former minister who said a sick person does not recover from his ailment until he has confidence in the doctor treating him, advised the federal government to opt out of the arrangement and send the Chinese doctors back to their country.
“Our people don’t have confidence in these chinese people that are why when they saw them they started running for their lives, not even to say that they are the ones to give medications to COVID-19 patients or curb the spread”. He said
