Tonga is facing a critical shortage in specialised healthcare services following the departure of Dr Āmone Vaka’uta, the country’s last remaining Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist.
He is said to have taken up a new position in the Marshall Islands.
The Prime Minister was informed this afternoon that the lack of an ENT specialist has raised significant concerns among the public regarding access to essential medical care for related conditions.
Prime Minister Eke said there is currently a doctor working in the ENT department, but he did not say whether he was a specialist.
“We are aware of this critical gap and are taking steps to resolve it,” PM Eke stated in Tonga.
However, he stopped short of specific details about the government’s plans or timeline for securing a replacement specialist.
Tonga’s Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) department was established in 1987 by the Late Dr Leiukamea Saafi, a consultant specialist and head of the department.
After the report of the vacancy this week, social media platforms have seen growing calls for the government to prioritise medical workforce development to prevent similar shortages in other specialities.
In 2020, it was reported that the Eisdell Moore Centre from New Zealand worked with colleagues in the Pacific region, including Tonga, to support the development of Ear and Hearing Care services in the region.
It was reported at the time that a volunteer Audiology Specialist from New Zealand, Mr Philip Luey, started working at the clinic in Tonga two days a week to assist with the development of the new audiology service.
A local visiting team regularly travelled around the outer island to conduct outpatient clinics and surgeries for the local community.
