Patient emergency transfer from Savaii delayed due to administrative setback

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 9 October 2026 – After yesterdays public ceremony to resume flights from Maota airport to Fagalii, a patient that needed emergency transfer to the Motootua Hospital had to wait several hours as a Samoa Airways aircraft did not come.

Emergency medical transfers was one of the major reasons the Prime Minister highlighted why the flights are needed due to quicker turnaround time and the charter cost compared to chartering the inter-island ferry.

Even though the patient was successfully transferred late this morning, the Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt had to intervene to ensure the medical medivac happened.

The Prime Minister told a meeting of District Council Chairs and Executive Officers this morning that he received a call this morning from the Samoa Airport Authority (SAA) office at Maota that there was a patient at the airport expected to be transferred to Apia, but there was no aircraft.

The medical transfer was confirmed last night with the expectation of an aircraft to uplift the patient early this morning.

The Samoa Airport Authority later confirmed on their facebook page that the first medivac operation between Upolu and Savaii this morning was successful when they brought a patient from Maota Airport to Fagali’i airport.

The patient needed to be transferred from the Tuasivi hospital to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital at Motootua.

The Prime Minister is calling on Samoa Airways to investigate the incident especially after yesterday’s opening where the Government assured the public of the air services between Upolu and Savaii.

“We need to work together and not the Government saying one thing while some people deliberately delay the process,” he said.

He also called on the staff that if they do not support the Government’s effort, then leave.

He said the new service will benefit everyone and make life easier for people who need urgent medical services in Apia.

Laauli noted that in the past, patients have to survive a 1-hour boat trip for medical assistance in Apia but with the opening of the airport, it will cut the long trip to 15-minutes from Maota to Fagalii airport.

There is no official response from the Samoa Airways of the delay but SAA confirmed that the medivac did happen and the patient is now at the Motootua hospital.