Tongan Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva has been admitted to Vaiola Hospital for observation, before he leads Tonga's delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in Tuvalu next week.

His son Po'oi Pohiva, this afternoon confirmed that the PM was in hospital. “After his treatment in Auckland he was advised to take two weeks leave but he came back to work. So on the advice of his doctor he is in Vaiola to monitor his condition, such as checking his sugar levels, blood pressure and heart, but basically he is fine,” he said.

The Prime Minister is planning to travel to Tuvalu on Thursday via Fiji, to attend the Pacific Forum meeting.

After that Po'oi said the PM would return to Tonga and would not be returning to New Zealand for further treatment.

The Prime Minister has not made public the nature of his illness, but has been hospitalised several times this year.

Parliament

Meanwhile Lopeti Senituli the PM's media adviser said this afternoon that the PM was admitted to Vaiola Hospital last Friday morning due his asthmatic condition and stayed in hospital over the weekend.

He attended a Parliament session briefly this morning but returned to hospital for precautionary reasons. He will lead Tonga's delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in Tuvalu next week.