By Adedapo Adesanya
A letter of intent to improve the health sector and share knowledge and expertise has been signed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Cui Jianchun, and Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Mr Osagie Ehanire, signed the document on behalf of both countries on Friday in Abuja. The idea is to ensure best medical practices.
Mr Cui said that the project was one of the nine programmes initiated by the Chinese President, Mr Xi Jinping, during the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on public hygiene and public health.
He said that the pioneer project, which will be implemented by the People’s University Hospital in Beijing and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, will address the public health challenges in both countries.
Mr Cui said it would also create an opportunity for both countries to share knowledge, experiences and improve health service delivery, research, and development of new medicines and vaccines.
“So, today, what we are doing is about public health and this agreement will be a historic moment where the two countries will work together not only for the pandemic.
“I do believe that the two sides in the cooperation between hospitals, the Abuja University Teaching Hospital and the China Beijing University People’s Hospital can work together.
“Not only in the areas of technology but share information about the solutions.
“Nigeria and China, have huge populations that we need public health and I do believe that today’s agreement is important in the long run for the two countries.
“China attaches great importance to Nigeria; we are doing a lot of things for the future cooperation, including the medicines, how can we work together to produce the traditional medicines in Nigeria.
“I will work hard with colleagues to make sure that with this agreement we can open a new chapter for China-Nigeria relations in this public health sector.
“I do believe that the Chinese experts, technology can benefit Nigeria and also we can learn from the Nigerian side your practice and experience from the government and hospital levels,” Cui said.
Mr Ehanire, who also commended the initiative, said that the letter of intent is the first step to opening another avenue for the expansion of knowledge, transfer, and exchange of skills and knowledge between Nigeria and China hospitals.
He said that the initiative would also help Nigeria diversify knowledge and skills, and learn from the successes of China.
“The main purpose in the signing of the Memorandum of Intent between the government of Nigeria and the government of China for close cooperation between the People’s University Hospital in Beijing and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
“The hospital tradition here in Nigeria is derived from the British tradition, from the time we have related to them from the pre-colonial time up till independence, most of the trainings were from England.
“But it is extremely important to diversify knowledge, diversify experience, and to know what are the best practices in China and what can we take from there to add to ours.
“And what can they also learn from us because there is no end to knowledge.
“This is an excellent and welcome opportunity to exchange knowledge, and practices and learn from each other, to also go on with research and development.
“And in our own case go on with clinical trials, we are also ready for that and we are also discussing areas of cooperation in vaccine production”, the Minister said.
Aduragbemi Omiyale