Nigeria Spends N150bn Annually On Medical Tourism

The National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria, AMLSN, Dr Godswill Okara has disclosed that Nigeria spends N150 billion annually on medical tourism due to the fact that the larger proportion of Nigerians have lost confidence in the health sector of the country.

Okara, who spoke at the annual National Executive Council meeting of AMLSN convened in Yola, Adamawa state capital, blamed the decline in the health sector on mismanagement of both human and economic resources.

Okara explained that according to reports at their disposal, Nigeria was ranked 4th among countries of the Commonwealth in 1960s to 70s stressing that some African countries were coming to Nigeria for health services because it had a vibrant health sector at that time. But he said the case today is the opposite due to the fact that since 1985, the health sector was left in the hands of unprofessionals to manage. [ThisDay]