The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has warned that Nigeria’s health sector will rank behind Southern Sudan, the youngest African country by the end of 2012, going by the present health indicators and steady decline in health services.

The association stated that Nigeria will rank 54th, out of the 54 countries in Africa at the end of the year if the current steady decline is not checked.

Presently, Nigeria’s health service is ranked 51st out of the 54 countries in Africa in the 2011 Mo Ibrahim African Governance Index rating.

National President of AMLSN, Dr Godswill Okara, said the health sector has been in steady decline since the advent of Decree 10 of 1985, when medical doctors usurped the professional functions of hospital administrators.

Dr Okara was speaking during the grand reception in honour of selected members of the National Assembly, medical laboratory scientists and friends of the association in Abuja, by the FCT Branch of the association.

According to him, it would not be a surprise if Nigeria ranks last, far behind South Sudan going by all the health indices and indicators by the end of this year.

He regretted that a country which was once ranked 4th in the Commonwealth, was ranked 51 out of the 53 countries in Africa in the 2011 Mo Ibrahim African Governance Index rating.

The AMLSCN President therefore called the National Assembly to the rescue, urging them to rise to the occasion to help the health sector recover its lost glory of providing efficient and effective health services to Nigerians.

Describing the present development in the country as unmitigated mismanagement of the health sector, Dr Okara said the administrative and managerial leadership of health facilities is a professional calling all over the world.