Tonga's King launches Japanese-funded hospital upgrade [1]
Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 16:15. Updated on Saturday, May 3, 2014 - 18:10.
Tonga's King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV laid the official foundation today to mark the first major upgrade and refurbishment of Nuku'alofa's Vaiola Hospital at Tofoa since its inception 30 years ago.
The King was accompanied by HE Mr Kenro Iino, the Japanese Ambassador to Tonga, who said that said that the project symbolised the strong commitment Japan has for Tonga in enhancing health services for the people of the country.
The project is funded by the Government of Japan through a grant of $16.8 million pa...anga provided under Japan...s Official Development Assistance Programme.
The construction will consist of a Clinical Sciences Building and Wards, which will have a total floor space of over 3755 sq. meters. The Clinical Sciences building will accommodate in its ground floor radiology, a blood bank, laboratories, a biomedical equipment workshop and an inpatient pharmacy. The first floor will have two operating theatres and an outpatient operating theatre.
For the Ward building have an obstetrics ward and a delivery suite on the ground floor and the first floor will be the surgical ward.
The construction of the new buildings started in December of 2004 and it is to be completed in March of 2006. The contractor of the project is Fujita Corporation of Japan.