By Mary Lyn Fonua
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ana Akau‘ola, has pledged to enhance medical emergency preparedness at Fua’amotu International Airport. This commitment comes in response to criticism regarding the airport's inadequate medical response when a passenger collapsed in critical condition after passing through the departures security screening on 15 April.
Dr Akau’ola said the man with a pacemaker, was brought to the hospital. She did not disclose the specifics of his condition but said that he is a Tongan-descent Australian who suffered from chest pain that was not due to a heart attack.
“The doctors in our ED were able to rule out Ischemic Heart disease and he was sent home afterwards.
“His episode had nothing to do with the scanner at the airport. X-Ray does not affect pacemakers,” she said.
Medical emergency
A Tongan passenger who was waiting to board the same Quantas flight to Sydney, told Matangi Tonga that he responded with his wife, a doctor, to a public announcement urgently seeking the assistance of a medical doctor for a medical emergency.
The passenger, a pastor who did not want to be named, said they found the distressed man in the departure lounge near the customs check-in area, clutching his chest. “He explained that he had a pacemaker and was experiencing severe chest pain following the security screening process.”
“My wife assessed him—his pulse was regular, without signs of tachycardia or arrhythmia—but his pain was intense, and his condition was clearly critical,” he said.
“She instructed airport staff to call an ambulance and requested a First Aid Kit. The response was deeply distressing, we were informed that the First Aid Kits were stored in the arrivals section of the airport…It took approximately 10 to 15 minutes for the kit to be located and brought back, and when it finally arrived, it was shockingly inadequate,” the Pastor said.
The kit contained broken equipment and old needles, and no basic essential items. There was no defibrillator. He said there was no trained emergency medical responder on-site; no functional, properly stocked First Aid Kits across all operational areas; no accessible AED or emergency medication; no written or rehearsed protocol for staff to follow in the event of a medical emergency.
“Not a single staff member on-site demonstrated any training in First Aid, CPR, or any recognised emergency response protocol. Their only reaction was to offer water and fan the patient—well-meaning, perhaps, but wholly inadequate. The man eventually collapsed onto the floor, dry-reaching in pain, and had to be placed in the recovery position under the direction of my wife.”
He said the ambulance took over 40 minutes to arrive.
“I cannot begin to describe the level of shame I felt as a Tongan. In 2025, with millions in foreign aid flowing into our country, how can we justify such a deplorable standard of care at an international airport?... It is utterly unacceptable,” he said.
Airport Services
When contacted by Matangi Tonga, the CEO of Tonga Airports Ltd. (TAL), Edgar Cocker, declined to comment and referred our reporter to the Ministry of Health.
The Minister of Health, Dr Akau’ola responded to our queries.
“I know we have to do better at our airport, but this should be a joint effort by TAL, Civil Aviation and Ministry of Health. We are taking this opportunity to address this issue of better preparedness and CEO Health is overseeing this work,” she said.
