Saia Piukala Explained

Saia Ma’u Piukala
Office7:Minister for Health
Term Start7:28 December 2021
Term End7:12 January 2024
Primeminister7:Siaosi Sovaleni
Predecessor7:ʻAmelia Afuhaʻamango Tuʻipulotu
Successor7:Siale ‘Akau’ola
Primeminister8:ʻAkilisi Pōhiva
Term Start8:30 December 2014
Term End8:10 October 2019
Predecessor8:Tonga Tuʻiʻafitu
Successor8:‘Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu
Office9:Minister for Internal Affairs and Sports
Term Start9:23 January 2019
Term End9:10 October 2019
Predecessor9:Losaline Ma'asi
Successor9:Vatau Hui
Office10:Minister for Public Enterprises
Term Start10:4 January 2018
Term End10:23 January 2019
Predecessor10:Poasi Tei
Successor10:ʻAkilisi Pōhiva
Constituency Mp15:Vavaʻu 14
Term Start15:27 November 2014
Term End15:12 January 2024
Predecessor15:Lisiate ‘Akolo
Successor15:Mo’ale ‘Otunuku
Party:none

Saia Ma’u Piukala is a Tongan politician, surgeon, and former Cabinet Minister.

Piukala was trained as a surgeon at the Fiji School of Medicine in Suva, Fiji.[1] Before entering politics he worked as a surgeon for the Tongan Ministry of Health.[1] He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga as representative for Vavaʻu 14 in the 2014 Tongan general election and was appointed Minister of Health in the cabinet of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva. He was re-elected in the 2017 election and reappointed as Minister of Health and Public Enterprises.[2] In January 2019 a minor reshuffle saw him swap his Public Enterprises portfolio for Internal Affairs.[3]

In May 2019 Piukala was appointed to the World Health Organization executive board.[4]

Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva and his replacement by Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa in October 2019 he was not reappointed to Tuʻiʻonetoa's new Cabinet.[5]

He was re-elected in the 2021 election.[6] On 28 December 2021 he was appointed to the Cabinet of Siaosi Sovaleni as Minister of Health.[7]

On 12 January 2024 he resigned as a Minister and from parliament to take up a role as WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Region Office.[8] He was replaced as health minister by Siale ‘Akau’ola.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Building Our Capacities Panel: Keynote Speaker . Pasifika Medical Association . 15 June 2020.
  2. Web site: Prime Minister Pōhiva submits his cabinet lineup to the Tongan king . Asia-Pacific Report . 4 January 2018 . 15 June 2020.
  3. Web site: Tongan cabinet reshuffled . RNZ . 23 January 2019 . 21 June 2020.
  4. Web site: Tonga health minister made WHO executive . RNZ . 28 May 2019 . 15 June 2020.
  5. Web site: "Prime Minister Announces New Cabinet Ministers" . Government of Tonga . 10 October 2019 . 15 June 2020.
  6. Web site: Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps . Matangi Tonga . 18 November 2021 . 18 November 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211118122442/https://matangitonga.to/2021/11/19/tonga-elects-all-male-parliament-nine-new-peoples-reps . 18 November 2021.
  7. Web site: PM names new government . Matangi Tonga . 29 December 2021 . 29 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211229094621/https://matangitonga.to/2021/12/29/pm-names-new-government . 29 December 2021.
  8. Web site: Minister of Health Dr Saia Piukala leaves Tonga government to take up regional role . Matangi Tonga . 12 January 2024 . 13 January 2024.
  9. Web site: Dr ‘Akau‘ola takes over as new Minister for Health after Dr Piukala’s move to WHO . Kaniva Tonga . 31 January 2024 . 6 February 2024.