Opposition leader Cora Richardson Hodge has blamed the government for the departure of Saint James School of Medicine from Anguilla, warning that the island could lose out on US$3 million a year.
She added that a lack of support from the administration was exacerbated by Premier Ellis Webster’s apparent preference for another newly established medical school.
Saint James School of Medicine is closing its 15-year-old campus in Anguilla by the end of the year and consolidating its operations into a single, larger campus in St Vincent.
Executive vice president Kaushik Guha announced the decision in a video message on 16 September, in which he promised minimal disruption during the transition.
In her own video statement on 20 September, Richardson Hodge described it as “devastating” to lose Anguilla’s first established, accredited and fully functioning medical school.
“This school, which many of us have grown to admire over the years, has an annual student body of approximately 130 students and 15 professors,” she said.
“These students and professors rent local apartments, drive local rental vehicles, shop in our local grocery stores, patronise our restaurants and generally contribute to our economy.
“Their children attend our schools and their parents and other family members visit Anguilla, stay at hotels and guest houses and enjoy our local tourism products while on island.
“They utilise local service providers, cleaners, maintenance, garbage collectors, hairdressers and barbers, dry cleaning, ANGLEC, Flow and Digicel.
“And they make their fair share of social security contributions, among other things, on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.”
The opposition leader said that about US$3 million per year of direct and indirect investment in Anguilla will be lost.
An inactive government
Richardson Hodge suggested the decision of the school to leave Anguilla was fuelled, in part, by the failure of the administration to provide the necessary support.
She said this was further compounded by the premier publicly expressing preference for American University of Anguilla which was approved by his administration and established two years ago.
“My people, this is the most unprofessional, juvenile, ignorant and insulting statement that any leader of a country can make,” the opposition leader said in her video statement.
Speaking directly to the premier, she said: “Honourable Premier, you will be well advised to embrace both medical institutions and seek to continue to develop both in Anguilla.”
She stressed that local landlords who currently house medical school students or staff may lose rent in three months time.
“The people of Anguilla in good faith, are asking that you meet with the Saint James medical school and come to a reasonable resolution that would allow them to remain in Anguilla,” she told the premier.
‘No room for negotiation’
In a press release on 21 September, the premier said Acting Premier Kenneth Hodge and members of the Cabinet had met with Guha and members of his team on 17 September.
“The meeting was very cordial and discussed a range of issues including the transition process and the way ahead,” he said.
Webster stressed that their decision to relocate was “final with no room for negotiation”.
During the meeting, the acting premier and Cabinet members extended their best wishes to Guha and his team and indicated that Anguilla’s doors remained opened if the school wished to return, he said.
Webster revealed that a new medical school – New Anglia University School of Medicine – is slated to open its doors in Anguilla in January 2025.
“There are also active discussions regarding a number of other institutions of higher learning setting up campuses in Anguilla,” he added.
The MOU signed with all medical schools requires a US$200,000 levy paid within 10 years, plus US$200 per student per trimester.
Watch the opposition leader’s address in full below:
https://www.facebook.com/auf2020/videos/318397664665590
