Tonga’s first National University will open on 27 January, the Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku announced yesterday, January 11. Tonga needs to urgently increase its training opportunities to replace many skilled Tongans who have left to work overseas, the first press conference for 2023 at St George Building, was told.

Hon. Hu'akavameiliku, who is also the Minister of Education, said that for a start, the new university will offer five Bachelor degrees, including Education for teachers at primary and secondary schools, Computer Studies, Tourism, and Agricultural Studies. The Head Office of the University will be at Pahu in Nuku'alofa.

Nursing studies of the Ministry of Health will be included “and we are currently working with other Ministries…Health, the Police, and others,” he said.

Cabinet had looked at the issue of nurses and fruit pickers leaving.

The Prime Minister said Government will not stop workers from leaving to find better jobs opportunities but will work on training more locals so that services can continue effectively both with the public service and private sector.

“We will not be able to stop people from leaving for overseas work.

“Government will continue to train our people so that they can have the skills to serve the country and move overseas if need be without adversely affecting local services.”

Nurse training

Dr Saia Piukala, the Minister of Health, at the press conference said there were nurses who had the opportunity to go and work overseas, a similar situation as with the fruit pickers.

“The aged care in Australia and New Zealand has attracted nurses from the Pacific, and it is an opportunity for them. We have a plan, and the intake for nurse studies will increase. The current interns are 30 and 10 private. We can increase the training to 60 and support those who take the opportunities.

“The first thing that I am looking at is that they will become good ambassadors for Tonga. Secondly, what they will have learned, one day they will come back and it will be good for Tonga. “Thirty two new nurses graduated in December, and they will join our work force, and our nursing side did not think it will have a negative impact. Until we reach a stage where the demand increases, so we have to be careful, on releasing them overseas, because it will have a negative impact on us and it will not be a good idea. We have to have a limited figure, and it's a decision for us and the university to make,” he said.

He responded to questions about the concern by local business people over skilled people leaving Tonga.

“It was raised in cabinet today, raised by the Minister for Internal Affairs about the increasing number of people going fruit picking and its impact locally. Fruit picking is not only by the unemployed, there are civil servants who are among those, soldiers, police and this report, the PM pointed out that we should have a good look at these issue. It has also impacted other Pacific island countries.

“Maybe it is an opportunity to find a solution to these problems – like the programs by ADB and the World Bank about the Aged Care. The discussion at the moment is about establishing a centre for the regions (Hihifo and Hahake) to address these problems. I think our development partners will then be able to help,” said the Minister of Health.

Covid-19 sub-variant

Dr Piukala warned that there is a new Covid-19 sub-variant, the XBB. 1.5 sub-variant that had arrived in Fiji last week and could spread to Tonga.

“It will spread easily, but it is not intensive. We are in a very good position because of our inoculation.”

However, he pointed out that so far Tonga had only 12 deaths from the Corona coronavirus.

“During the Christmas and the New year, we had 30 positive cases a week, then it went up to 70 a week. But we are checking about 1000 cases a day.

“I think people are becoming very conscious, and when they feel sick, they stay at home. Because if we go into a lock down, it will have a damaging impact on the country. v“Our vaccination rates were very good and we believe that this will help in ensuring that we are safe. Unless there is any drastic development in the COVID-19 situation worldwide we will follow the current status here in Tonga,” the Minister of Health said.