STATEMENT BY PREMIER AND MINISTER OF FINANCE HONOURABLE ANDREW A. FAHIE
DURING THE FIFTH SITTING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FOURTH HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Tuesday, 25^th February, 2020
10:00 a.m.

Moving Forward with Medical Schools

Mister Speaker, I will now speak on moving forward with medical school in this Territory.

Mister Speaker, last week I attended the 31^st Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados where leaders in a candid and frank way  on February 18 and 19 discussed matters include the CARICOM Single Market and Economy; the Report on the Commission on the Economy; Engagement with the private sector, labour and civil society; CARICOM Advocacy Against Blacklisting, De-Risking and Withdrawal of Correspondent Banking; Supporting CARICOM Resilience and Update on Matters of Importance for Science and Technology.

While there, I took the opportunity with Cabinet's approval to sign the agreement with the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Medicine and other Health Professionals (CAAM-HP) under CARICOM to establish medical schools in the Territory.

CAAM-HP is an accrediting body for medical, veterinary and dental schools in the 15-member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CAAM-HP was established in 2003 under the support of the CARICOM.

It is empowered to determine and prescribe standards and to accredit programmes of medical, dental, veterinary and other health professions education on behalf of the contracting parties in CARICOM.

CAAM-HP serves as a means of providing the assurance of quality that generates confidence in the principal stakeholders, students and the public.

It is now official! After years of pursuit, while attending the 31st Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Barbados I also took the time on behalf of the BVI to sign an agreement for us as a Territory to establish medical schools through the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Medicine and other Health Professionals.

This is good news as well as it will create more opportunities for our people of the BVI in many areas such as rental of apartments, need for increased forms of transportation, scholarships to study medicine at home, adding value to our healthcare - an overall boost to our economy.

I wish to thank the Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley and his team at the Ministry, including the former PS of that Ministry and all the public officers who worked hard that made the agreement come to fruition.

I also signed an agreement with Caribbean Examination Council that outlines the Territory’s membership in the organisation and the benefits that will be received as a member, such as free training for teachers, reduced fees for our examinations and a stake in the direction of the organisation.

Mister Speaker, I say congratulations to the people of the BVI, because the coming of the medical school is long awaited and it is their success.