His own firm, Binder Hamlyn, has a specialised charity unit.

"The facts and circumstances known to us at this time indicate that you are required to register with the Public Charities Unit as a charitable organization" because the fund has raised more than $50,000, Mr. Blumenthal, a Democrat, wrote.

Pesh Framjee of Binder Hamlyn's Charities Unit agrees that fund managers are making a song and dance about the changes, 'but let us say there is no smoke without fire and a lot of wet leaves going round'.

The official history of the current University of Santo Tomas Hospital is traced to the formal opening of its charity unit on February 15, 1945, in a building which stood at the rear of the Main Building.