Second Donation of Medical Equipment from Fukui North Rotary Club

The Fukui North Rotary Club has carried out its second donation of medical equipment to Tonga. While equipment designed to prevent the progression of diabetes was donated last February to Vaiola National Hospital in Nuku'alofa—the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga—the hospital lacked equipment for monitoring anesthetic depth and had previously requested such a donation. In Japan, devices that measure the depth of anesthesia using BIS are employed to objectively assess the level of anesthesia during general anesthesia. In the absence of such equipment, anesthesiologists would administer anesthesia based on experience, determining sedative dosages by observing the patient's level of consciousness and monitoring vital signs such as heart rate and respiratory rate. However, anesthesia procedures can only be performed by anesthesiologists. Consequently, if an anesthesiologist is unavailable, it is impossible to proceed with emergency surgeries or operations requiring anesthesia at night. In situations where an anesthesiologist was absolutely unavailable, surgeons would perform operations using intravenous anesthesia. An anesthesia system has been provided that combines a device for measuring the depth of anesthesia via BIS monitoring with a device that assesses muscle relaxation through electromyography. This represents a groundbreaking development for Vaiola Hospital; according to the anesthesiologist, Dr. Vika, it is the first such system to be introduced in the South Pacific region.