In making adjustments with expenditure to sustain the economic turbulent times ahead, the Government must ensure that they really think through their plan properly. It is expected that some programmes will be reduced and should Gate be one of them the population would expect that pure common sense and thorough discussions prevail in doing this the correct way.
It is hoped that the PNM will clearly identify those areas of national need first and protect them from being cut. I will refer to one example to illustrate the point, bearing in mind that it is not the only field of national need.
The National Development Human Resource Needs document clearly identifies that careers in the medical field is in greatest need in this country. Applying common sense to this reality, it is expected that the Government will continue to support all local and regional medical students. Anything short of this will inevitably lead to huge public outcry.
The daily newspapers constantly highlight the plight of our deplorable health sector which is served by distressed staff and chronic staff shortages. The constant recent highlighting of the rise in maternal deaths, the pending arrival of the dangerous Zika virus, the rising ageing population are just some of the issues we face now and will in the future.
It can only be hoped that this government not look to shoot itself in the foot by reducing support for our bright performing students who want to peruse the rigorous medical programme. These are the very individuals who stay up long late hours “beating book” and are known for their hard work ethic. Aren’t these the kind of citizens we want in our society?
It must be pointed out that without the financial aid of Gate not even the hard working middle class parents will be able to afford to send their child to med school due to its high cost all because of its specialised nature. In exchange for this financial support these very students will give back service to their country and eliminate the need for foreign doctors that serve our local hospitals. It is a pure win-win situation as the hire of international doctors is financially unsustainable.
Aren’t we trying to save money in the long run? It is time to identify the areas that drain taxpayer’s money and plug those areas rather than hurt the areas of need. Dr Eric William’s vision of education taking the country forward cannot be lost.
A strong plea is hereby being made for the PNM government to recognise the need and value of ensuring Gate does not block any performing student who wants to peruse the much needed medical and other fields of national interest. Their value in giving back is unmeasurable.
J Johnson,
Petit Valley