Dialysis treatment

Tonga Health Ministry denies opposing moves to establish dialysis treatment clinic

Siosaia Moehau President of the Tonga Dialysis Foundation says government delayed their chances to allow dialysis treatment in Tonga after 2 years of waiting for a response to their proposal.

Radio Tonga reports Moehau says it is an attitudinal problem and restricted to things they did not understand.

He says they’re only concerned about people’s lives and the availability of such treatment which is not practiced in Tonga.

Tongan govt aims to manage diabetes rates

Dialysis treatment is currently unavailable in the country despite around 200 people being diagnosed with chronic kidney failure each year, and about a third of those needing such treatment.

This week the Tonga Dialysis Foundation said it has waited for over a year for a government letter of support so private funders could release finances to open a clinic in the country.

Ministry of Health CEO Siale 'Akauola said the majority of kidney disease cases develop from diabetes.