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Tonga’s National EMT Response to the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai Volcanic Eruption and Tsunami

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2022

Penisimani Poloniati ,
Ana Akauola ,
Sela K. Fusi Open the ORCID record for Sela K. Fusi [Opens in a new window] ,
Yutaro Setoya ,
Kaloafo Tavo  and
Sean T. Casey Open the ORCID record for Sean T. Casey [Opens in a new window]
Penisimani Poloniati
Affiliation:
Tonga Ministry of Health, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Ana Akauola
Affiliation:
Tonga Ministry of Health, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Sela K. Fusi
Affiliation:
World Health Organization, Tonga Country Liaison Office, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Yutaro Setoya
Affiliation:
World Health Organization, Tonga Country Liaison Office, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Kaloafo Tavo
Affiliation:
Tonga Ministry of Health, Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Sean T. Casey
Affiliation:
World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office, Manila, Philippines University of New South Wales, School of Population Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Abstract

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Background/Introduction:

The Tonga Emergency Medical Assistance Team (TEMAT) responded to the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcano and tsunami in early 2022. The HTHH volcano erupted violently on January 15, 2022 triggering a tsunami that struck many of Tonga’s 169 islands.1 84% of the country’s population was affected.2 Tonga’s undersea internet cable was cut, stopping most communication. At the time of the eruption/tsunami, Tonga was COVID-19-free with its borders effectively closed, forcing reliance on national emergency resources, including TEMAT.

Objectives:

Describe TEMAT’s response to the 2022 HTHH volcano eruption and tsunami.

Method/Description:

TEMAT deployed four rotations of clinical and public health teams in response to the eruption/tsunami. Team members included clinicians from the Ministry of Health, with logistics support from His Majesty’s Armed Forces. TEMAT carried out emergency assessments, facilitated medical evacuations, aided in the evacuation of an entire island’s population, and provided essential health services.

Results/Outcomes:

From January 17 through March 4, 2022, TEMAT cared for 381 patients including patients with non-communicable diseases (>50), psychosocial complaints (39), communicable diseases (27), and traumatic injuries (13). The team supported five referrals to higher level care, conducted patients home visits, aided in health center repairs, and responded to a boat sinking during their deployment.

Conclusion:

TEMAT’s deployment demonstrates that deployment-ready and self-sufficient national EMTs are essential for response to sudden-onset disasters in vulnerable countries. A trained and well-prepared national EMT can respond independently, quickly, and effectively to emergencies, despite limited resources and high-impact events.

Type
Meeting Abstracts
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 37 , Supplement S2: Abstracts of World Health Organization Emergency Medical Teams Global Meeting 2022 , November 2022 , pp. s80
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

References

References (optional)

Wright, CJ, et al. Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption. Nature. 2022;609:741–746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UNOCHA. Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai Volcanic Eruption Humanitarian Snapshot. UNOCHA; 2022.Google Scholar