Saia Ma’u Piukala
Saia Piukala in 2018
Minister for Health
In office
28 December 2021 – 12 January 2024
Prime MinisterSiaosi Sovaleni
Preceded byʻAmelia Afuhaʻamango Tuʻipulotu
In office
30 December 2014 – 10 October 2019
Prime MinisterʻAkilisi Pōhiva
Preceded byTonga Tuʻiʻafitu
Succeeded by‘Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu
Minister for Internal Affairs and Sports
In office
23 January 2019 – 10 October 2019
Preceded byLosaline Ma'asi
Succeeded byVatau Hui
Minister for Public Enterprises
In office
4 January 2018 – 23 January 2019
Preceded byPoasi Tei
Succeeded byʻAkilisi Pōhiva
Member of Parliament
for Vavaʻu 14
In office
27 November 2014 – 12 January 2024
Preceded byLisiate ‘Akolo
Personal details
Political partynone

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]

References

  1. 1 2 "Building Our Capacities Panel: Keynote Speaker" (PDF). Pasifika Medical Association. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "Prime Minister Pōhiva submits his cabinet lineup to the Tongan king". Asia-Pacific Report. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Tongan cabinet reshuffled". RNZ. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "Tonga health minister made WHO executive". RNZ. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  5. ↑ ""Prime Minister Announces New Cabinet Ministers"". Government of Tonga. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps". Matangi Tonga. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "PM names new government". Matangi Tonga. 29 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "Minister of Health Dr Saia Piukala leaves Tonga government to take up regional role". Matangi Tonga. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.


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