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Court upholds Dominica government’s decision to deny third medical school on island
By The TDN Wire Staff
June 5, 2012 7:30 A.M.
Dr Curvin Fereira head of Global Education Provider Ltd. |
Roseau, Dominica (TDN) -- The decision by the Dominica government to stop a bid by Global Education Provider Ltd (GEP) to set up a medical school on the islands is being challenged further in the courts.
In announcing its decision to refuse the group a license to operate, the Dominica government pointed to the fact that there are already two other offshore medical schools in operation in Dominica, Ross University School of Medicine and All Saints University School of Medicine.
Education minister Peter St Jean pointed to the fact that the two schools are already exhausting the country’s small medical system, which is required to provide hospital training to the student doctors.
Global Education Provider is owned by Dominican gynaecologist and former Medical Director Dr Curvin Ferreira. In 2010 Dr Ferreira challenged government’s refusal in court and on December 13, 2010, High Court Judge Bernie Stephenson Brooks upheld an application by the company’s lawyers for judicial review on the decision of Cabinet.
The law courts are being asked by the lawyers to determine whether Dominica is indeed too small to support three medical schools.
When the case was finally heard before Justice Brian Cottle last month more than 16 months after the initial ruling, he denied the group’s application. He agreed with government that there was a limit to the capacity of the existing medical facilities on Dominica to support thee learning institutions.
Lawyers for the group Dwight Horsford and Kondwani Williams immediately announced their decision to appeal the judge’s ruling.
The matter will now move to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeals for further judicial review.
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