FG urged to contract local manufacturers for production of ventilators

 By Prudence Ijah, Abuja.

The Federal government has been urged to engage local manufacturers for the production of ventilators, personal protective equipment and other medical equipment for immediate use in the fight against COVID-19.

Lifeline Centre for Medical and Health Rights Advocacy (Lifeline Centre), who made this known in a statement signed by a member of the board of trustees Professor Uwakwe Abugu

said it is estimated that Nigerian hospitals would require over five million ventilators to adequately serve Nigerian patients.

According to the statement, with the prevailing scarcity of ventilators worldwide, it is crucial for the federal government to be creative enough to discuss with and empower willing local manufacturers such as Innoson Motors  Ltd  and others to venture into manufacturing ventilators for local use.

Professor Abugu said there is  lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for  our medical personnel for the war against COVID-19, and other infectious diseases hence the need  for quality equipment for frontline caregivers in the country.

“The intriguing thing here  is that most of   these equipment do not require rocket science for their manufacture locally. Given government’s creative engagement with local manufacturers, our case will be different” the statement added.

Again, it is heart-rending that in Nigeria today there is no system of compulsory medical liability insurance and life insurance policies for all levels and classes of medical and healthcare personnel. Common sense would suggest that deploying energy and resources into these areas should appear to be more critical and same would serve as a morale booster for frontline caregivers who are daily risking their lives for the rest of us.

Lifeline Centre for Medical and Health Rights Advocacy vehemently objected against bringing in Chinese doctors whose training,   competence, character and good faith cannot be readily taken to the bank.

We at Lifeline Centre believe that government should NOT sacrifice its own due process of the law on the altar of unverified or unverifiable Chinese magic wand.

Again, government should be more creative in tackling the more pressing issues of welfare of the frontline caregivers and the citizenry than insisting, against all well meaning  objections,  to  bringing  in  Chinese  doctors.

Lifeline Centre for Medical and Health Rights Advocacy (Lifeline Centre), a Not for  Profit  and  a  Non-Governmental  Organization   with   the   mandate   of pursuing, promoting and enforcing the medical and health rights of Nigerians and championing advocacy for policy reforms and extracting professional accountability and best practice.