American Canadian School of Medicine will be operational from September 2023: PM Skerrit

The education sector is one of the most important task in the government’s list in uplifting the Caribbean nation of Dominica to reach new heights. This importance was learned by the government of Dominica, and now it has been taking various steps to uplift its education sector.

While walking on the path, the government of Dominica has been constructing various schools, colleges and universities to provide quality education with modern facilities. Recently, while presenting the 1.3 billion dollar budget for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 in the Parliament of Dominica, Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit announced that the country would have a new medical school named the American Canadian School of Medicine. Prime Minister stated that the new medical school would be managed as well as operated at the campus of the Ross University in Picard, Portsmouth, by CSOM Holdings Limited.

He announced that this American Canadian School of Medicine will provide a 4-year Medical Degree (MD) and will be operational from September 2023. He highlighted that the government of Dominica and CSOM holdings limited finalized and agreed after months of negotiations. This to-be-constructed world-class university will be headed by a team of experienced doctors from the universities of the United States of America. On the other side, it is expected that students across the globe, especially from Canada, the USA and the Caribbean, will come to pursue the MD.

“The school will offer a four-year medical degree designed for students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree. It will be run by an experienced team comprising doctors who have held positions at major universities in the United States, including a former vice president of operations at the Ross University School of medicine,” said Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

The government is expecting students from Canada, the United States of America and the Caribbean.

The university will utilize the campus of Ross University, which was shifted to another island after Hurricane Maria made landfall in 2017. The staff and students of the university were moved to Barbados to make sure that their careers were not disturbed because of the natural disaster. Prime Minister stated, “Since the departure of Ross University, the government has received several expressions, and I am pleased to announce that after several months Dominica will have a medical school.”

PM Roosevelt Skerrit urged that all Dominicans must be prepared for the opportunities which will be created with the return of a medical school to Portsmouth. The government is optimistic about the potential of this new school and its positive impact on Dominica and on the people in the north in particular.

Expectedly, the construction of the school will flourish in the north region of the country as multiple indirect or direct jobs will be created. The area will once again see upliftment and development with the settlement of new communities in Portsmouth.

While presenting the budget, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also assured that the government of Dominica would uplift the medical and healthcare sector. He stated that the government would continue to invest in instalments and furnishings of the medical equipment. He stated that during the past fiscal year, the government pursued several projects, including the repair of existing health centres, the implementation of the OECS regional health project focused on improving health facilities and strengthening health services, laboratories, public health surveillance and emergency management.

Furthermore, Prime Minister counted some of the ongoing or near completion healthcare projects. As per him, to date, the government has completed the construction of twelve (12) new Health and Wellness Centres with funding from the Citizenship by Investment programme. The Dominica China Friendship Hospital is nearing completion, and the construction of the new Reginald Armour Hospital in Portsmouth will commence soon. These initiatives will ensure that a resilient Dominica is predicated upon healthy people and a sound, effective health care system.

He further outlined that new jobs will become available for the capable youth of Dominica. There will be a demand for additional lab technicians, scrub technicians, nurses, other health care workers, pharmacists, and other ancillary and support personnel.

“We encourage our citizens to ready themselves for these new employment opportunities,” he added.

Prime Minister Skerrit further highlighted that the healthcare sector is bolstering and reaching new heights with the help of the funds generated by the Citizenship by Investment Programme.

Dominica established the Citizenship by Investment Programme in 1993 to provide socio-economic development assistance in the country. The programme has allowed the government to grant citizenship to the investors and bolster Dominica’s economic investment. The alternative citizenship is provided in exchange for a financial investment towards the infrastructural development of the country.

Alternative citizenship comes with various lifestyle and business opportunities, which are the following:

1.) Dominica’s alternative citizenship can be a Plan B in this uncertain world.

2.) By becoming Dominica’s citizen, you can become a global citizen.

3.) Alternative citizenship of Dominica opens the door to expanding the businesses globally.

4.) Investors can plan their wealth and diversify their portfolios.

5.) Dominica citizenship allows one to live in a peaceful, safe and secure environment.

The programme aims to boost foreign economic contributions to Dominica and expand its economy. The programme will also contribute to meeting the demands of the modern competitive global market. Investors can make a donation towards major development projects in both the public and private sectors or invest in government-approved real estate.

Economic Diversification Fund (EDF): This investment option is popularly known as the Fund Option, which encourages the socio-economic development of the country. It supports the public sector and helps run social programmes in the country, including housing, education, agriculture, tourism and healthcare. The minimum investment for the main applicant is the US $100,000.

Real Estate Investment Option: Under this option, the individual(s) must invest a government-approved real estate property, including hotels, spas, and villas. The minimum investment for the main applicant is the US $200,000.