Tongans with kidney disease and other conditions are being treated by a visiting Australian urological surgery team at Vaiola Hospital.
The Australians are performing surgery alongside Tongan doctors and nurses, and providing mentoring and training for their Tongan colleagues.
Tonga does not have a permanent urological unit, so visits of this kind are one way Australia is developing the capacity of Tongan medical workers and helping Tongan patients.
The team’s visit is made possible under the Pacific Islands Program (PIP) 2016-2021, which seeks to strengthen clinical services across 11 Pacific Island Countries, including Tonga.
PIP is implemented by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in collaboration with the Pacific Community and Ministry of Health, with support from the Australian Government.
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