Decries disregard for Covid-19 protocols
By Joyce Babayeju
The President of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Prof Innocent Ujah has said that Nigeria will accept vacinne from China and any other country as far as the vaccine meets the criteria of efficacy and safety
The NMA president spoke against the background of the recent spike in Covid 19 cases in the country.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Monday night over the quest for a Covid-19 vacinne for Nigerian against the background that most Western nations are buying up and stock piling available vaccine, the NMA said it has no problem with a Chinese vaccine as long as the vaccine is efficacious and safe.
“What we are looking at is the vaccine not the country of origin and it is important we dont go into the politics of importations, what we do is ask questions if the vaccine is efficacious, that means does it has efficacy physique then is it safe. We are not interested in where the vaccine came from and therefore anywhere the vaccine is coming from what we check is efficacy and safety whether from China or anywhere in the world” He said.
Reacting to the NMA position in the past when it rejected help from a Chinese medical team, the NMA president said the Association never kicked against the visit of the Chinese medical team but only said Nigeria as at then had the capacity to deal with the pandemic outbreak. “NMA did not kick against it, NMA said the capacity we have in Nigeria is enough” .
He noted that the Nigerian government cannot descriminate no matter where a vaccine is coming from since the Nigerian government is not producing any vaccine. “You know the Nigeria government has not produce any vaccine so we cannot say that we will not take it, we are not discriminating, and you know China is more prepared than us and we should learn from their example”
Prof. Ujah also acknowledged the support of China to Nigeria since the outbreak of COVID-19 noting that it is part of the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China.
“China has been assisting Nigeria in all sector as part of its diplomatic relationship with Nigeria and assisting Nigeria during Covid should not be seen as unusual. China supports Nigeria and Nigeria support China too, there is nothing new or special about that”
Earlier during a press briefing the NMA expressed worries over the rising cases of Covid-19 in the country calling on the FG and Nigeria’s to take apprioprote measures to curtail the spread the disease.
He also warned of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country as Nigerians show flagrant disregard for Federal Government’s prevention protocols.
He said the second wave of the pandemic is coming as a result of disregard for non pharmaceutical prevention protocols warning efforts of containment of the scourge. The association therefore appealed to Nigerians to take the COVID-19 prevention advisories very seriously in order to interrupt the transmission and reduce ill health and deaths from the dreaded disease.
“The strict adherence to the NCDC Protocol of use of face mask , regular hand washing and use of sanitizers and social as well as physical distancing is very strongly advocated. Non essential travels should not be embarked upon especially during this Yuletide season and beyond.” He said.
The NMA president said his Association is also worried over the brain drain by frontline health workers at this critical time. “The association bemoaned the incessant spate of emigration of highly trained Nigerian doctors and other health care professionals to greener pastures at a time when their services are critically needed in Nigeria, observing further that efforts at engaging these Nationals have not yielded results.”
The NMA further lamented the continual practice of medical tourism by privileged Nigerians and urged the Federal Government to establish the National Health Bank to help fast – track the infrastructure, procurement of the state of the equipment that will provide world class health care for Nigerians and reverse medical tourism.
