Change is good

I disagree with what writer Richard Maribu said of former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in The National on Friday (June 7).
Firstly, the writer said the former PM salvaged the future education of our children and saved many lives from illnesses.
Is the writer even aware of the state of schools and the current education system in the country?
The free education policy has become nothing but a mockery to the education system. We are seeing students with failed marks entering schools and causing overcrowding.
Many students do not secure spaces in higher institutions because the majority of the students under the free education system are below average performing students, this results in the drop of GPA average and the overall performance of the whole school.
As to your second point, are you aware of the state of the hospitals and health centres in the country?
Most of these places lack basic medicines and equipment.
Patients literally sleep on the floor of hospitals and outpatients because there are no beds or wards.
The rise in deaths of pregnant mothers and the rise in infant mortality rate.
The lack of maintenance of the only chemotherapy machine at Angau hospital, resulting in cancer patients not getting treatment.
Many patients die of curable diseases because hospitals and health centres lack basic medicines.
This is the sad reality of most citizens.
May I remind you that our economy is already struggling; the everyday ordinary citizen is struggling to make ends meet.
Public servants cannot live on a fortnightly salary alone, the tax rate is too high, the goods and service tax is also too high.
The first order of business of this new government is to get the economy back on track.
I am not saddened or moved by the resignation of Peter O’Neill.
We needed a change to steer PNG in the right direction.
Change is good.

Bobby Smith Kems