Medical equipment donation to Tonga

2 Apr 2019

^{Back row: Mr. Peter McLennan, Mrs Maureen Waddington, Carolyn Mornane | Front row: Miss Evelini Vatuvei, Miss Simaima Filiai}

4 April 2019 

The 40ft shipping container was filled with high quality superseded medical equipment and supplies that have been donated by St John of God Ballarat Hospital, St John of God Bendigo Hospital, Ballarat Health Services, Ballarat East Rotary, and Lake Imaging.

Some of the equipment donated includes hospital beds, endoscopy equipment, infant cots, monitors, an ultrasound machine, a dental microscope, and a theatre ophthalmology microscope.

Supplies are also an important part of what is donated and a variety of items have been included such as mattresses, hospital linen, stomal therapy goods, gloves, and trolleys.

An important resource that is being donated by St John of God Ballarat Hospital is the recycled KimGuard for CSSD wrap which provides Vaiola Hospital and outer islands their entire supply of wrap. 

Tonga Twinning Program Coordinator, Carolyn Mornane, is excited that we are able to provide these medical supplies.

"The equipment is so important to Tonga, and I thank all the organisations who were involved in providing donations." said Carolyn.

The container will arrive into Tonga in early May, with the shipping container getting unpacked and goods distributed to areas of need in Vaiola Hospital and the outer islands. The shipping container will also remain in Tonga, to be used for other purposes such as storage of medical records.