Shipment of medical supplies on its way to Tonga

16 May 2023

Image (left to right): Tonga Twinning Coordinator Carolyn Mornane, CEO St John of God Ballarat and Warrnambool Hospitals Alex Demidov and Director Mission Integration Maureen Waddington.

The 40ft shipping container was filled with high quality superseded medical equipment and supplies that have been donated by a range of donors across Ballarat and the region.

Some of the equipment donated includes an ultrasound machine, x-ray machine, defibrillators and patient monitoring machines.

Supplies are also an important part of what is donated, and a variety of items have been included such as mattresses, hospital linen, theatre scrubs, surgical masks, kitchen goods, hand gel, 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 June, with the shipping container getting unpacked and goods distributed by the Tonga Ministry of Health to areas of need in Vaiola Hospital, and to the Niueiki Hospital in ‘Eua. 

Our donors

We thank the following organisations who have donated important supplies and equipment to Tonga:

• St John of God Ballarat Hospital
• St John of God Bendigo Hospital
• St John of God Geelong Hospital
• Ballarat Base Hospital (Grampians Health)
• Eureka and Gouge linen
• Elyptol Australia
• Ballarat East Rotary
• Central Highlands Rural Health Daylesford
• Western district Health Service
• Western Health
• Lake Imaging