Coronavirus still poses a serious threat to the Tongan Kingdom
Despite being one of the 15 countries in the world that has not reported any case yet, the Tonga Ministry of Health is not ready to manage the fatal disease.
Dr. Siale ‘Akau’ola said coronavirus remains a serious problem for the ministry.
He added that Tonga's health services would struggle to accommodate the cases, even a dozen cases would be difficult.
Dr. 'Akau'ola also said the Ministry of Health has identified eight areas to address in its state of preparation for possible infections, but of these, case management remained a major concern.
“It is the biggest challenge that we are facing. How many patients we can treat here, taking into account the number of our staff and the state of our preparation.”
Dr. 'Akau’ola is thankful for the government support in introducing legislation and implementing declarations, so that the public would adjust their lifestyles to counter the virus, and prevent it from spreading in future.
The eight areas on the government's CoViD-19 readiness work agenda are:
Proper implementation of the programme, Infection, prevention and control, Civilian, investigation of suspected cases, Laboratory work, Port of Entry, Public Education, Case Management and Logistical Support.