The National Secretariat of Medical Students under the auspices of  the Nigerian Medical Students' Association (NiMSA), has written an open letter to the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, over the "continuous spate of strikes" that "is becoming disconcerting" in the state and the need to prevent lost of innocent lives.

In the letter signed by the President NiMSA, Seriki Muritala and the Secretary-General, Chilaka Franklin, the Medical Students body request that the growing concern over the healthcare system in Lagos State be addressed.

The current industrial action going on in the state is a reaction to the "government refusing to pay salaries owed to Doctors. The Salaries covering the periods of May 2012, as well as August and September, 2014 when the Doctors engaged in a strike action to address the issues of relativity and appointments in  the health system." 

The letter noted that while the Doctors' salaries where withheld, the "salaries of members of the Joint Health Sector Unions in the state (who also engaged in a strike action) were paid in full even after engaging in 3months-long strike not too long ago."

The students appeal that government considers the consequence of the industrial action if allowed to persists. NiMSA noted that the action would cripple; the healthcare system in Lagos, lead to loss of significant man-hours and disrupt the training of medical students and other professionals in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital which would further put the healthcare system in a precarious state, leading to loss of wealth and innocent lives.

"We implore you to use your good office in ensuring a lasting solution of the issues at hand so that the healthcare system in Lagos State continues to advance," NiMSA wrote in the open Letter to the Governor.

Nigerian Medical Students' Association (NiMSA) is the umbrella body of over 75, 000 future doctor

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