A week ago, the Columbus Central University School of Medicine made the evening news after a bus carrying its medical students crashed on the Northern Highway.
None of the students suffered any serious injuries, but tonight, the school's management is trying to put out a big public relations fire. That's after news emerged that they've been de-listed by the Medical Council in India.
This medical school's campus is based in Ladyville, and its sister institution, the Washington University of Health Sciences, has its campus in San Pedro Town. There is uncertainty about whether or not the Indian students attending these two universities will be able to get their professional license in their home country.
You'll remember that the university's management has had to defend itself against allegations that it is not running competent operations to keep its accreditation with the Belize Ministry of Education. They have insisted that these allegations are baseless, and calculated to malign their reputation by their competitors.
Today the owners of these two institutions called a press conference to make the point that the de-listing is a result of another of these smear campaigns. Here's what they had to say about the predicament today:
Dr. Malik Soudah - President/Owner
"We are two successful medical schools in Belize recognized by the Ministry of Education. Adhering to all immigration and labor protocols. We have 400 students in both campuses and almost another 400 in clinicals. We hire local employees, local teachers and contract with teachers from abroad."
"Unfortunately, when you have successful programs, like what we have here in Washington and Columbus University, you're going to have competition. Now, we do welcome fair competition but recently we've been exposed to some of the toxic competition rotten to the core with its paid journalists who in return all they want to do is spread fake news, false accusation and initiating a small campaign against the two medical schools. Example, what happened a month ago, some this false accusation, fake news, made its way to some of the agencies outside Belize accusing us of not having classrooms and teachers. So, at this moment we are talking to the agency abroad and we're trying to rectify the problem as soon as possible."
"Yes, they - we got de-listed because some of this fake news, some of this fake accusation, went to them without any investigation and we are in the process talking to them to get the listing back. But what I am saying is, you know, part of the de-listing was because we don't have classrooms and teachers. That's why we want to give you the tour today so, you know, the Belizean, we're an open book, so they can see with their own eyes what we have here."
Peggy Allen - President/Owner
"Someone has presented to them that we don't have facilities, we don't have teachers, we don't have classrooms. And so, we just have to basically satisfy and acknowledge and show that evidence that we have all that and there should be no additional issues with us to be re-listed. As far as what does that mean to the University, it doesn't really hold any base on the operation of the University. It will only affect Indian national students who would apply to the University during the de-listing period. And if they were accepted and started during the listing period, which we have been listed up till the beginning of about Mid-January, it won't affect them at all. It's only for this period now and I believe the de-listing started January 6th. And during that time, we ourselves will not take in new students from that period until the listing is re-listed, you know, with the listing."
Dr. Malik Soudah
"The campus is well equipped with labs and lecture holds. Part of our strategies for the next three years is our vision for 2020. We are building two brand new campuses, one here in Ladyville and another one in San Pedro North and construction will start some time by the end of this year."
The owners insist that they will be able to get the de-listing reversed as soon as they can prove to the authorities in India that they have 2 fully-functional and competent universities.
They say that they intend to take action against the individuals who have attempted to defame them.
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