Chinese medical team to commence work as their 14-day quarantine period ends today

CHINA'S team of medical professionals who arrived in Nigeria earlier this month are due to start work today as the 14-day quarantine period for which they had to remain in isolation has ended.

On April 8, an 15-man team of medical experts arrived in Abuja with a raft of medical equipment designed to assist local health authorities. Invited by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the main contractor handling Nigeria's rail modernisation programme, facilitating the project, they came with 16-tonnes of test kits, ventilators, disinfection machines, disposable medical masks, N95 masks, medicines, rubber gloves, protective gowns, goggles, face shields, infra-red thermometers and other critical care items.

To allay the fears of Nigerians, all members of the Chinese team were tested and after they were proven to be negative to Covid-19, they entered into a 14 day quarantine. Today, that period ends, so the team will commence work setting up and distributing its $1.5m worth of equipment.

Their invitation was met with criticisms from many quarters, including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). However, Boss Mustapha, the chairman of Nigeria's Covid-19 presidential task force explained that the Chinese doctors were here in advisory and capacity-building roles.