The king of Tonga hopes a centre for diabetes in the United Arab Emirates will one day deliver its services in Tonga.
According to current World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, 19.1 percent of males and 24.5 percent of females in Tonga have diabetes. The figures are matched by much higher levels of obesity, a situation which has led Tonga to be christened “the diabetes heavyweight of the Pacific.”
“Tonga is on the heavier end of the obesity statistics for the Pacific Islands with 69 percent of the adult population being obese”.
King Tupou VI was at the United Arab Emirates this week and he was given an opportunity to visit the Imperial College London Diabetics Centre (ICLDC) in Abu Dhabi.
A statement from the Palace Office in Tonga said: “His Majesty King Tupou VI wanted “to ascertain the potential of a partnership in addressing Non-Communicable Diseases in particular diabetes and its related illnesses”.
The king was welcomed by Dr. Nicolas Richards, the Executive Director of the Centre together with his senior staff team.
The Centre is the first healthcare facility established by Mubadala Investment Company in partnership with Imperial College London in 2006.
It has treated more than 100,000 patients and is a state-of-the-art outpatient facility that specialises in diabetes treatment, research, training and public health awareness”.
“Imperial College London (ICL) is a leading science-based university with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Mubadala’s partnership with ICL brings best-in-class expertise in diabetes care to the region, where the condition is among the region’s most critical healthcare issues”.
“The Centre implements Robust Process Improvement (RPI) concepts and methodology in designing and updating clinical and managerial processes with an emphasis on quality of care as well as patient safety and satisfaction”.
The Palace Office said His Majesty “shared his hope that his people could one day access such services in the Kingdom of Tonga”.
