Health Minister Clarifies Controversial Graduation Appearance

Questions over Belize’s offshore medical schools are back in the spotlight after Health Minister Kevin Bernard attended a joint graduation ceremony in San Pedro. Washington University of Health and Science and Columbus Central University School of Medicine largely train international students, but concerns remain about their accreditation. Bernard says he attended as an invited guest, not to endorse either institution, and clarified that accreditation falls under the Ministry of Education.

 

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness

“I was invited there as the Minister of Health. These people come to Belize they, where they get a, a level of their training through their online program. I know that there have been some concerns that have been thrown out there on, a blanket concern on some of these online programs. But having spoken to both the Ministry of Education and some of the people from the, the owners of the facility and the members that were there, I know the Honorable Patrick Faber, who sits as a chair of that board of governors for that university, online school of medicine has said that they have gone through the accreditation process as well with the US. And they have a very high uptake, I’m told, from the residency programs within the United States. So my presence there was simply as an invited guest. Now we don’t, we are not responsible for education. That’s a matter of the Ministry of Education. Whatever issues that they had to sort out, I’m not sure what needed to be sorted out. So I cannot comment more than just say that I was there as an invited guest.”

 

The schools have faced regulatory scrutiny overseas, including warnings from India’s National Medical Commission.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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