A senor health officer has urged the government to acknowledge the dedication of local nurses in Tonga, who have chosen to remain in the country despite opportunities for higher pay overseas.
Vaiola Hospital Matron Sr ‘Akesa Uili Halatanu was speaking during the national development summit held in Nuku’alofa last week.
She said that when she submitted the nurses’ assessment results, evaluated through the Performance Management System (PMS), the Public Service Commission (PSC) rejected them and advised her to alter the scores.
She said that this decision was detrimental to the nurses.
She provided an example to illustrate her submission to the PSC.
She said that approximately 200 nurses were assessed, and after reaching an agreement with all departments within the Ministry to award 100 nurses a score of 5, the PSC allegedly instructed her to revise the scores.
The PSC recommended, according to Halatanu’s given example, that only seven nurses should receive a score of five, 10 should receive a score of three, and the remaining nurses should be given a score of 1.5.
Halatanu described how this placed her in a difficult position, as she was left unsure of how to determine which of the 100 nurses should receive the top score of 5.
She supported a separate motion to review the PMS, emphasising the need for fair and transparent evaluation processes.
She also opposed a motion proposed by a former PSC commissioner during the meeting, which suggested hiring nurses from the Philippines to support Tonga’s health services.
She emphasised that the government should prioritise local nurses and recognize their dedication and contributions to the nation’s health services.
The PSC could not be reached for comment.
