Tonga's hospitals paralyzed [1]
Monday, August 29, 2005 - 18:30. Updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 21:45.
Essential medical services at Vaiola Hospital remain paralyzed, and stressed medical and hospital staff can only hold on for so long, said the Medical Superintendent Dr Siale 'Akau'ola today.
As the Civil Servants strike enters its sixth week, the only service that is operating well at Vaiola is the Emergency Unit.
But Dr 'Akau'ola said that the clinical unit, the outpatients unit, the hospital wards, the dental clinic, maintenance and catering services are all struggling.
Dr 'Akau'ola said that the few staff who were still working were struggling to keep the service running, "Quite frankly, we can only hold on for a certain period.
"We are just getting sick of the whole thing because we feel powerless that we can only do what we can with what we have and we are getting to a point now where everyone just feels frustrated."
Dr 'Akau'ola said that the Ministry of Health had temporarily hired a few people to come in and work in the maintenance area of the hospital to remove the rubbish and maintain its cleanliness. These people were first hired for two weeks, but with the strike seeing no end they have now prolonged that to six weeks.
"I think this is ridiculous because how long are we going to go on like this?" he asked.
Dr 'Akau'ola said that four of their doctors were officially on strike and the few that are on holiday had requested an extended vacation time due to the strike.
"There are just a few of us doctors working and everyone is just feeling the stress," he said.
Meanwhile, the Nuku'alofa rubbish collection service run by the Ministry of Health has ceased for the last six weeks. At the Popua dump the rubbish is overflowing onto the seafront roads where individuals have dumped it because the tip access road is now blocked with piles of uncontrolled dumping.