PhilPac advances Philippines–Tonga cooperation on specialist care and health workforce development

Nuku’alofa, Tonga -- In October 2025, ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists from Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center in the Philippines worked with clinicians at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, through the Philippine-Pacific Health Initiative (PhilPac). The four-day deployment helped address Tonga’s need for specialist services while opening practical pathways for longer-term health workforce cooperation.

At Tonga’s national referral hospital, the Philippine team led by Dr. Jefferson Alamani, provided consultations and surgical care, joined clinical discussions and donated a digital otoscope to support patient education and learning. The visit also created space for health leaders to discuss shared priorities, including specialist training, critical care nursing, midwifery education and workforce planning.

The deployment showed how short-term technical cooperation can help build longer-term systems for learning, service delivery and workforce development. During discussions with Dr. Ma’ake Tupou, Medical Superintendent of Vaiola Hospital, both sides explored hospital twinning, modular training programmes, support for nursing and midwifery curricula, and possible referral pathways for complex cases.

The discussions highlighted PhilPac’s role as a platform for country-to-country collaboration in the Western Pacific. Philippine institutions, including the Philippine Human Resources for Health Network and nursing and midwifery schools, were identified as potential partners for technical support aligned with Tonga’s priorities. Both sides agreed to work towards a government-to- government memorandum of understanding to guide future cooperation.