Dr. Reynold 'Ofanoa has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Health in Tonga.
He will serve in the position for four-years, from 6 July when he signed his contract with Government.
Dr ‘Ofanoa now takes over from Dr. Siale 'Akau'ola who completed his employment contract in May this year.
Dr. 'Ofanoa's career in public service began in January 1999 as a Medical Officer with the Ministry of Health. He then took up the position of Acting Chief Medical Officer at Niu'ui Hospital in Ha'apai from June 2001 to July 2002, before being promoted as Medical Officer Special Grade of the Public Health Division in 2004.
He then served in various acting appointments including as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Medical Officer at the Communicable Disease Section, at the Public Health Division.
He had also worked at Prince Ngu Hospital in Vava'u, before being promoted in 2014, as Chief Medical Officer for the Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health, where he currently served before taking up this top job.
In addition, he was selected as a Representative Member of Tonga to the Pacific Island Regional Multi-Country Coordinating Mechanism (PIRMCCM) in 2015. He was also PIRMCCM Chairman from 2018 to 2021, where he oversaw global fund programs towards HIV, TB and malaria in 11 Pacific Island Countries.
Dr 'Ofanoa holds a Master's Degree in Occupational Medicine from the National University of Singapore (2003) and a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the Fiji School of Medicine in Fiji (1998).