31st May, 2017 The Tongan Twinning Program (TTP) is a Divisional based social outreach / community aide relationship between St John of God Ballarat Hospital (SJOG Ballarat Hospital) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), Tonga.
St John of God Ballarat Hospital’s long standing commitment to international health in Tonga started in 1992 and is one of the longest standing, and most successful aide programs enjoyed by both the Tongan Ministry of Health and SJOGHC. This year is the 25th year of the TTP.
The TTP started from a chance meeting between Tongan anaesthetist Dr Tali’uli ’Afeaki and SJOG Ballarat Hospital nurse John Macdonald whilst Dr ‘Afeaki was visiting on exchange to Ballarat and being hosted by anaesthetist Dr John Oswald. Following a subsequent visit to Tonga by Dr Oswald and Mr Macdonald the Twinning Program was initiated between the MoH and SJOG Ballarat Hospital. The Nuku’alofa Rotary Club was instrumental in providing funding to support the TTP in its formative years.
More than just a relationship between two hospitals, the TTP embraces a wider Ballarat community base with strong relationships involving Rotary, Regional Health facilities, and Universities. As well as SJOG Ballarat Hospital caregivers, many hundreds of Ballarat residents and others throughout Australia have been directly or indirectly involved in the TTP.
Dental (Dr David Goldsmith), Radiology (Lake Imaging Radiology) and Ambulance (South Australian Ambulance) services have all formed independent Twinning Programs with the MoH Tonga following involvement with the SJOG Ballarat Hospital TTP.
AusAID (now Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – DFAT) have been strong partners in the TTP since 1996, providing funding for at first a container of equipment, and then for staff capacity building.
The partnership model of this Twinning Program has been successful and stood the test of time. It is a low cost model based on short periodic staff exchanges (2 – 4 weeks each, twice a year) between both sites for capacity building, and support.
Resource challenged, the health services in Tonga are also supported with donated equipment and consumable goods from a wide network of sources in Australia via the TTP. Two containers a year of such goods are currently delivered to Tonga from Ballarat through the assistance of the hard working volunteers of Rotary ‘Donations in Kind’ in Geelong.
Staff from all departments of Vaiola Hospital and the Outer Island hospitals have participated in the TTP – medical, nursing, artisan, engineering, psychiatric services, catering etc. There have been many achievements over the years, both big and small. Examples are: capacity building in nursing and nursing middle management have helped develop more contemporary approaches to hospital management and patient care, wound care has seen a reduction in limb amputations, intensive care now provides effective paediatric and adult life support services, CSSD can effectively sterilise theatre trays with recycled Kimguard wrap, the hospital IT system utilises SJOG Ballarat Hospital recycled computers, and an efficient Hospital Information Service now functions. Mental Health services have been supported with capacity building exchanges for nursing and medical staff. Patients in the Psychiatric ward can now participate in cooking classes using kitchen appliances donated by SJOG caregivers and can also now sleep comfortably on good mattresses.
The benefits are not one way. SJOG Ballarat Hospital’s graduate midwives visit Tonga for their own capacity building, delivering babies alongside their Tongan colleagues. SJOG Ballarat Hospital caregivers and other community based participants feel enriched by their Tongan experience, and grow personally. Many friendships are forged through the collegiality of the Twinning Program and visitors to the Kingdom always feel the true hospitality shown by our Tongan colleagues.
The TTP continues to achieve its objectives to improve the skills of staff employed by the Ministry of Health Tonga and enhance the overall health care provided to the Tongan community. It continues to change the lives of the many participants involved from both Tonga and Ballarat.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Health, Tonga