PM Skerrit Says an Investor Is On Hand to Fund a Medical School at Ross, Portsmouth

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit revealed to parliamentarians during the presentation of a $1.02 billion 2019/2020 national budget that the Dominican medical school is set to kick off. He said the medical school will be set up at the former Ross University Picard Campus in Portsmouth, and an investor has been secured for its establishment.

“I am pleased to confirm to the nation that an investor has been secured to establish a medical school at the Picard Campus,” the prime minister said. “We have been advised by the principals that they have been aggressively pursuing the completion of equipment of the faculty and they continue to conduct interviews to fill non-academic positions.”

According to Skerrit, his administration has obtained the approval of the Dominica University of Medical Sciences (DUMS) for the establishment of the medical school. In the same vein, DUMS plans to set up a school of nursing and a school of pharmacy soon – a development that could raise the total population of the university to about 2,500 in the next four years.

The prime minister further revealed that the authorities of the proposed medical school are already in talks with landlords in Portsmouth to discuss housing needs for students of the school.

In the meantime, Skerrit also revealed that the Cabrits Resort and Spa of the Kempinski Hotel will be launched on October 14. He added that 550 workers are working hard onsite to ensure the hotel is opened on the said date. The hotel, according to him, is funded under the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program to become a 5-star hotel capable of creating jobs for nationals as well as providing hospitality befitting the country to customers.

“If you want a room at the Kempinski for October and November you can’t get because they are fully booked,” Skerrit said. “If we want to position ourselves as the destination of choice, we have to be ready to deliver the level of service that this requires.”

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