By Katalina Siasau

The purchase of a new transport incubator for the Paediatric Ward at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku’alofa was supported by the Tanoa Hotel with a donation of $60,000.

The Tanoa Hotel's management and staff met with Dr. George ‘Aho and Dr. Flora Lutui at the Paediatric Ward today, to recognise the contribution.

The incubator cost AUD30,000 funded by the Tanoa with support from DFAT to cover freight of the equipment to Tonga.

The incubator is located in the Paediatric Ward and can be transported by plane, offering crucial assistance for premature emergency cases arriving from the outer islands.

The equipment will significantly enhance neonatal care in Tonga.

Dr. Flora Lutui said, “The importance is transporting babies between the operating theatre and the nursery or mini NICU, and from Outer islands. It can be challenging without proper equipment and we've been able to get this with the donation from Tanoa Hotel.”

She said that the transport incubator includes a trolley that is easy for movement, precise temperature monitoring, and it diaplays all vital signs.

This technology addresses a major challenge when transporting infants from the outer islands.

“Usually when we go out to outer islands, it's not easy on the flight and so we would usually get the baby… either hold or have a little smaller plastic kind of thing where we'd have to try and keep the baby warm but now we have technology and we can do that,” Dr. Lutui said.

Tanoa’s General Manager, Jason Strickland said, “Tanoa International Dateline Hotel is always happy to engage with the community, particularly in instances with the hospital where we all know that resources are limited so we're happy to assist and encourage others to do so.”