Students of one of the branches of the American Health Care Institute yesterday protested over concerns that they are being scammed by the school while demanding refunds.
The American Health Care Institute has branches on the upper flat of a building on Robb Street, Georgetown, next to ScotiaBank, and on Croal Street.
Students vowed to take their concerns to the authorities after the principal of the institution, Nandranie Kissoon, who has faced accusations of fraud in the past, did not turn up to supervise an examination that was scheduled to take place yesterday morning. Kissoon, who has also used the names Gita Kissoon and Johanna Gray in the past, was unreachable, they said.
Angry students protesting outside the entrance to the Robb Street facility said that they recently heard “talks” that the university is not “for real,” prompting them to approach Kissoon sometime last week. She has not been seen since then, they said.
“Kissoon was doing so much that we could never believe it was not real,” a student, Kursha King, said.
Another student, identified as Tiffany, said, “We went to APNU and had a meeting and we were told that they will get the relevant authorities to look into to matter.” She also said that she had asked Kissoon why students were paying different prices for courses and she was told that the prices were based on when the students started at the institution.
This newspaper understands that the tuition cost per month varies in price, from $6,700 to as much as $97,000 per month. The tuition was being paid to an account at ScotiaBank. “We does have to pay her so much money plus every day we does have to pay like $2,000 for transportation and so to come to class,” said one student.
Courses offered and taught by Kissoon include Medical Assistant, Opticianry, Dentistry and Pharmacy Technician. Two other persons also lectured along with Kissoon at the institution but one left after he became aware of questions surrounding the bonafides of the school.
Concerned students also stated that Kissoon said she works with the University of Guyana and that a prominent attorney is a member of the Board of Directors of the institution.
Statements have been given to the police and the Ministry of Education as well as the Ministry of Health have been notified.
In January, 2009, Kissoon was arrested after Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy accused her of operating a bogus nursing education outfit—then dubbed the Inter-American Nursing School—and scamming hundreds of unsuspecting young people of large sums of money. While being held, the woman repaid some of the students their money and then she was released on $100,000 bail. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later recommended that no charges be laid against
the woman.
