Medical students held hostage by “bogus” administrator

A private medical school administrator, on Tuesday, held two students hostage in a locked building after Police turned up to arrest her for allegedly ripping off hundreds of students.

K Singh being escorted by Police after holding two students hostage for four hours
K Singh being escorted by Police after holding two students hostage for four hours

The woman, K Singh, who also goes by several other names, is the owner of the North Shore Medical College on Lamaha Street. She had locked herself and two students in the upper flat of the building when scores of other students turned up and demanded refunds on the grounds that she was operating a bogus medical institution. It was high drama after Singh allegedly said that she will not release the students unless the media and the Police leave.
However, after four tense hours the students were released and the Police managed to gain entry into the building by climbing throw an open window to arrest the woman. Singh was escorted out of the compound by two Police women and a Policeman, into a vehicle and taken to the Alberttown Police Station for questioning.
“We had a calm assurance that the school was accredited but we didn’t know that the woman was a fraud,” one concerned parent said, noting that she had enquired about the school and was told that it was accredited by the Ministry of Education and so she felt secured and enrolled her son.
“I can’t believe this… every month we are paying $23,000 for him to study and that is not all. We have to pay money for handouts and text books and other things,” she said.
When Guyana Times arrived on the scene, several students were seen standing outside of the building, knocking on the door, demanding that Singh open up. Incensed that they were shut out of the building, the students demanded answers and their money back.
“We want our money. She come to rip us off. Let her come out here and if we don’t get our money…,” one student shouted.
They stated that it was after they read an article in the Guyana Times where Health Minister, Dr George Norton, was cautioning students about fake medical schools that they became suspicious that the woman may be bogus.
One student, identified only as Casandra, said that the administrator would instruct them to mark their own test papers, while promising to send the grades to the board overseas. “She keep talking about the board and board but we keeping asking to see the board and we never hear from them or see any of them,” she said.
In 2009, former Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy had accused Singh of operating a fake nursing school, which went under the name “Inter-American Nursing School”. He had stated that hundreds of students were scammed into releasing large sums of money to her. She was arrested and placed on bail.
However, sometime later, the Director of Public Prosecution had recommended that no charges be laid against her.
Four years later, another medical school surfaced—this time under a different name and under the same woman who was using a different alias. In 2014, another set of students took to the streets in protest against the woman and her school—insisting that they were being scammed. It was reported that Singh, who went by the name Gita Kisson, never turned up to supervise their examination.
In both instances, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health were notified but nothing was done to seriously address the matter. However, this time Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton, is urging students to beware of these offshore medical schools and consult the ministry before registering with them.
Contrarily, the students claimed that they had visited the Ministry several times and had asked for an audience with Dr Norton, but were told he was in a meeting. “All we want to know is if this school is accredited and if not, how can we get our money back,” the students told the media.
Meanwhile, Singh had openly refused to unlock the doors for a team of Police who attempted several times to enter the building. The students, who were inside, were seen at a window mouthing for the reporters and the other students to leave so that they woman would release them.
Hours later when the Police started pounding against the door and screaming for the woman to open, she unlocked the door and let them out. She then locked herself in the building.
One of the students, a young man, stated that the woman had told them that the other students had filed a report against her and that the Police was coming to arrest her and that they should stay until the Police and the media leave.

“When we asked to leave she said we can’t go until the Police and the reporters gone. We asked her several times but she said no,” he said.
The other student, however, was too shaken up to speak and was quickly taken away in a vehicle.
The Police, on the other hand, had to climb a ladder to gain entry through an open window to arrest the woman.
“Bring her down here let we beat her till she can’t rob anyone else,” one woman yelled, while the Police was escorting her to the Police vehicle.
When Guyana Times attempted to establish the authenticity of the institution’s USA Branch, through a foreign number provided on the medical school’s website, a woman answered and refused to divulge the location of the overseas branch.
She stated that all information required could be provided via telephone and, if a prospective student wished to meet with her, they would be required to pay $4800 consultation fee. Students are charged US$100 for registration, while semester fees start at US$500.
Singh was issued an eviction letter by the landlords of the building a month ago and has since changed the locks to the building.
Dr Norton stated that one of the reasons why students seek out private medical schools for tertiary education is because the entry requirements are far less than that of the University of Guyana.