Ministry of Health comments of American Global University

Two medical schools in Belize remain at the center of a controversy following very serious allegations against them by Phillip ‘Faada’ Henry and U.B. professor Patrick Menzies. Both men hosted a press conference on Tuesday and basically accused the American Global University School of Medicine and the Washington University of Health and Science of being ‘ghost’ operations; just empty shells set in place to scam unwary potential students. Both men also called on the government to do something about it. Since both operations are medical schools which offer medical programs, we asked the Ministry of Health about the allegations. Minister of Health, Pablo Marin and his C.E.O., Peter Allen, were together in one location this morning when we caught up with them. Freelance reporter Mike Rudon has that story.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

With so many questions circulating about two medical schools operating in Belize, one would think that the Ministry of Health would be seriously concerned and in the midst of an intensive investigation to get to the bottom of very serious allegations. So we went straight to the top man, Minister of Health Pablo Marin and asked him about the American Global University and Washington University.

Pablo Marin

Pablo Marin, Minister of Health

“I heard something about it in the media, but that is more something pertaining to education and the certification that they give. I really don’t know about that.”

Mike Rudon

“But these are medical schools. When students graduate from these schools—if they graduate—they are MDs; they can practice in Belize or practice…”

Pablo Marin

“The only one that we know that is certified at this moment that I know is the CAHSU in the education system that is in the Boom cut off. That’s about ti that I know. I need to look on it because I heard that on the media and we are already working on that.”

Mike Rudon

“So the Ministry of Health is prepared to deal with this situation; the serious allegations against these two schools?”

Pablo Marin

“Sure we are, sure we are.”

And with that reassurance ringing in our ears,we moved on to CEO in the Ministry of Health Peter Allen. He had also heard about the schools, and told us that while he doesn’t know many details, he believes that they are operating under a provisional charter.

Peter Allen

Peter Allen, C.E.O., Ministry of Health

“I’m familiar with them, what’s been on the TV and what’s been on the radio. I’m familiar with the charter. The actual chartering falls under the Ministry of Education as you know, but there is a medical school’s accreditation committee and myself and other members of the ministry have served on that committee as well.”

Mike Rudon

“So you were a part of the accreditation of these two schools?”

Peter Allen

“The chartering. I believe what these—I may be mistaken so forgive me if I’m not perfectly correct on these—I believe what the status is for these two institutions is a provisional charter where they have basically made an application. They have been given a provisional charter based on a fee and a proposal document. And I think they have a twelve-month period in which they are supposed to develop the full level of services that are required for a medical institution in Belize. Certainly it looks like they haven’t achieved that but I am not familiar with the details, I’m afraid.”

Allen did go so far as to say that as far as the schools are concerned, it’s not looking too good at this point.

Peter Allen

“In our capacity as members of the medical school’s accreditation committee, really we are just trying to find out information the same way as you are at the moment. It has been a little difficult to contact the principals so we don’t want to be premature in our actions, but certainly it doesn’t look good at the moment. And we want to protect the good name of Belize and make sure that anybody who is doing business in our country, does it according to international standards.”

And while the organizations are operating as medical schools, Allen says they have no authority to close them down since they are considered educational institutions. And even as he is concerned, there is no timeline on when anything would be done.

Peter Allen

“I really couldn’t tell you. It doesn’t fall under our administrative jurisdiction if you like. But I know there have been certain actions taken already and over the last few years against one of the institutions. And then quite often these things seem to get, I don’t really want to use the word bogged down; but I can’t think of a better way to put it in legal issues in between the competing parties. But I gathered that letters have already been sent. I wish I could give you a definite timeline, but especially in these things where legal issues are involved, it is a little bit difficult to give you an exact timeline, I’m afraid.”

And at the end of that, there are still more questions than answers. Mike Rudon for News Five.