Transcript
MAFILE'O MASI: If we are talking about volume here it is estimated at around 6,000 metres square, but it could be more than that because I am just talking about the buildings that we estimated, that are included in the Pacwaste Project that is funding the removal and replacement of the asbestos at the moment. So that is only for 7 buildings so far but it could be more than that.
DON WISEMAN: This Pacwaste program is financed by the European Union, the removal of the asbestos, it's quite an elaborate process, isn't it? So are you shutting down these buildings while you do it?
MM: Yes,, yes, that's the idea. Talking with the Polyeco Group - that's the contractor engaged to do the task - which is a European contractor and that is one of their work activities is to relocate the people still working in these buildings and then carry out the task. But at the moment not many people are using it [the buildings]. So I think the main concern lies with the hospital at Vava'u, where a lot of people are still using the hospital but we have received reassurance from the Ministry of Health that relocation of the patients and workers there is not a problem.
DW: The asbestos is deteriorating?
MM: Oh yes. We did carry out an asbestos assessment back in 2013 and that is how we came to select these seven intervention sites due to the fact that we found these are the buildings that we found where the asbestos was deteriorating. We still have buildings that have asbestos containing materials but [they] seem to be in good form.
DW: You have mentioned the Prince Ngu Hospital in Vava'u but Vaiola Hospital there is also a problem there though , the main hospital in Nuku'alofa.
MM: Oh Yes. [laughs] not really. You will recall we had to rebuild the hospital here on the main island of Tongatapu,, so the majority of the asbestos containing material that were there before has already been removed. However we still have just a small volume of asbestos material still remaining in Vaiola Hospital, about roughly 20 metres square.
DW: How long with the process take?
MM: The work is scheduled to carry of the next three months, depending on the weather here in Tonga.
