I came to Seychelles 16 years ago and gave the Seychelles government the proposal to start “University of Seychelles American Institute of Medicine” (USAIM). The students in this part of the world would get a chance to have an American Medical Education and then after passing the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) they would be eligible to apply for residency programs in America in order to practice medicine there. USAIM recruited both local and international students from 23 different countries.

 

In 2000 the charter was signed between USAIM and the government of Seychelles. USAIM was the First university in Seychelles. In 2004, a memorandum of understanding was signed between USAIM and the Seychelles Ministry of Health (MOH) for the clinical training of both undergraduate and postgraduate students in Seychelles Victoria hospital. In 2006 Seychelles Ministry of Education (MOE) gave USAIM “No Objection Certificate” to establish international study centers and/or hospital affiliations to facilitate the academic activities of the students since Seychelles had only one hospital (Victoria Hospital). Also in 2006 Seychelles government leased the Fiennes institute land to USAM to construct their campus. In 2007 USAIM had its first graduation ceremony. In 2008 the Seychelles Qualification Authority (SQA) accorded the status of provisional accreditation to USAIM. In 2009 we had the second USAIM graduation ceremony. Also in 2009 USAIM received the full accreditation from the American Academy of Continuing Medical Education (AACME) to conduct Continuing Medical Education programs.

 

In January 2010 I received a letter from the Seychelles Attorney General informing me regarding the cancellation of the charter without giving me any reasons. In December 2010 I filed the lawsuit against the Government of Seychelles in the Supreme court. In 2013 the Supreme court judge dismissed the case based on a technicality. So I went to the Appellate court. In 2015 I won the case against the Seychelles Government.

 

I was to appear in the Seychelles court in November 2015 one final time to close the case against the Seychelles Government. But the date was postponed by the Seychelles court to February 2016 and then it got postponed again to June 2016. In June 2016 the judge decided on the following:

 

• The charter in the name of University of Seychelles American Institute of Medicine (USAIM) cannot be cancelled and it is in perpetuity

• USAIM did not break any agreement with the Seychelles Government

• The judge will give his judgement this year for the amount of financial damages and Punitive damages to be awarded to USAIM

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We continue to conduct the Postgraduate and the Continuing Medical Education programs since our attorney advised us to continue until the final Court of Appeal decides the issue, which has been done already in 2015. We will start the Undergraduate program in 2017.

 

Today I can proudly say that our students are practicing medicine in the USA, India, Tanzania, Qatar, UAE, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Oman.