Family Planning Clinics In Tonga

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30961, 18 January 1966, Page 2

Family Planning Clinics In Tonga

Tonga’s population problem was receiving practical treatment with the establishment of family planning clinics, said a Tongan nurse, Sister Siosiane Fanua, in Christchurch yesterday.

The first clinic had been established last year. The main problem was to get women to realise that they had to be consistent about taking contraceptives. “Many use them and then stop for a while before restarting. But, of course, they often become pregnant and feel disappointed,” said Sister Fanua.

She said she thought the programme would be successful and that it was only a matter of time before the women fully understood what they had to do to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Sister Fanua, who trained in Sydney and Adelaide, will do a post-graduate course in Wellington. She is a World Health Organisation nursing fellow and will be in New Zealand until November. On her return to Nukualofa she will be a tutor sister at the Nurses’ Training Centn. Sister Fanua said Tonga had three hospitals. Lack of money meant that shortages of drugs, medicines and bandages were frequent Help was given by the American Roman Catholic Relief Fu-'l ,and the Roman Catholic misI sions were frequent donors |of needed drugs. Penicillin I was one drug frequently in j short supply. The nursing staff was helped by patients’ relatives, who' cooked and helped to care . for them. “The tb unit attached to the hospital is the only place where patients are provided with food and linen and nursed exclusively by staff,” said Sister Fanua.

Although the average health of the people was good, tuberculosis was a major problem. The people also were susceptible to influenza and gastritis epidemics. Weather changes caused much pneumonia. Both W.H.O. and U.NI.C. E.F. were working in the

islands and had recently started mother-and-chi!ld care clinics, which were doing much to reduce the infant mortality rate. In addition, the main hospital ran a mobile baby clinic, said Sister Fanua. Although young girls were chaperoned—unless they had been away from Tonga and were considered able ' take care of themselves—there was illigitimacy. However, no stigma was attached to illigitimate babies.