Gov't won't give deadline for new school to get accredited

The government of Antigua & Barbuda has avoided giving a  deadline by which it expects the Atlantic University School of Medicine (AUSM) to get accredited by the regional accreditation authority.
The absence of that accreditation was the reason the medical school felt it necessary to leave St Lucia and move to Antigua. The school needs to be accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) and left St Lucia when the government there asked the school to get accredited by 2018.
At Thursday morning’s post-Cabinet press conference, Minister of Information Melford Nicholas would not give a date by which the government wants the school accredited.

However, the information minister said the government is committed to “working with” the school towards the institution becoming CAAM-HP accredited.

This morning the Member of parliament (MP) for All Saints East an St Luke Joanne Massiah said that sufficient diligence on the school was not done.

Nicholas said the St Lucia government was contacted about the moving school, though he did not specify when this contact was made.

The minister also believes the media is too quick to publicize the investor’s setbacks.