University of Canterbury Engineering students keen to help out medical services in the Pacific have received a welcome financial boost.
Tait Contel Trust is donating $29,000 towards the annual Tonga Biomedical Service Trip, which involves a group of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Engineering students travelling to the island country to carry out essential medical repairs and improvements in Tongan hospitals.
They are accompanied by UC staff who deliver training and share practical knowledge with local technicians. The students and academic staff provide their time and expertise on a largely voluntary basis. Planning for the next four-week trip, happening early next year, is now underway.
UC Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Debbie Munro, who leads the project, says the donation from Tait Contel Trust, one of the charitable arms of Tait Communications, will cover the core costs of the mission, including flights, accommodation, and technical supplies for eight participating students.
“This generous support brings the team closer to reaching their $69,000 fundraising target, which includes a $5,000 stipend for each student, about half what they would otherwise earn during a summer internship,” she says.
Professor Munro says the Tonga Biomedical Service Trip is an opportunity for UC students to use their engineering skills to contribute to and support health providers in the Pacific.
“The goal of this project is to provide long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency for Tongan healthcare providers by equipping local healthcare staff with technical skills to maintain essential medical equipment. This will ensure the ongoing functionality of life-saving devices, such as ventilators, blood pressure monitors and oxygen concentrators, which are often donated to Tonga.
“We’re building something that empowers medical staff in Tonga to handle these equipment maintenance challenges long after we’re gone.”
UC Engineering student and the International Coordinator for the UC BIOMED Club, Liam Bately says the recent funding boost will ensure next year’s Tonga trip goes ahead.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Tait Contel Trust for their ongoing support and belief in what we’re doing. We’re now focusing on raising the remainder to provide small stipends so students can afford to participate, instead of needing to work over summer to fund their studies,” he said.
Mr Bately says the eight students involved in the trip will commit a combined 400 voluntary hours to the project. The trip is now in its second year since being reestablished in 2024.
Tait Contel Trustee, Charlotte Walshe says it’s a pleasure to support the Tonga Biomedical Trip.
“We loved the work the team did in the 2024-2025 summer and we are keen to see this grow. For us it’s a great fit with our charitable purpose of supporting the development of Christchurch and Canterbury’s STEM talent at the tertiary level,” she said.
Applications for the Tonga Biomedical Service Trip are open to mechanical, mechatronics, and electrical engineering students, and the selected team will complete six weeks of training and project development in Ōtautahi Christchurch before travelling to Tonga for four weeks in January 2026.
