Coronavirus West Berkshire: Doctor stuck in Tonga now home to help NHS in Covid-19 fight

Dr Timothy Gomm was stranded on the island after it went into lockdown

A WEST Berkshire medical student who was stuck in Tonga has now flown home and is starting work as a junior doctor.

Timothy Gomm, from Mortimer, flew home from the Pacific Island on Thursday, having been stranded there for two weeks after the kingdom went into lockdown due to the coronavirus.

He was able to catch a Japanese charter flight from Tonga to Sydney and then on to London via Doha in Qatar.

Despite the UK Government’s promise of a £75m airlift operation on March 30 to rescue British nationals stranded around the world, help for Dr Gomm came from the Australian deputy high commissioner to Tonga, Nick Murphy, who ensured he was able to buy a ticket on the flight out of Tonga.

Dr Gomm, who had been in the country on a practical placement while studying medicine at the University of Southampton, said he was relieved to finally be home.

The 23-year-old said: “At the moment, jet lag is dampening my celebrations, but I’m very glad to be back.

“I was fortunate to get out when I could because at the moment there’s a category five cyclone going around the south Pacific, which is already causing damage to other Pacific islands and will probably do a similar thing to Tonga.

“The tickets were expensive, but I didn’t mind because it meant I could come home.”

Dr Gomm found out that he’d graduated from university while on the flight home.

He was due to start work as a junior doctor at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in August, but this has been brought forward to the end of April to help alleviate the pressure on the NHS from Covid-19.

He will be treating non-coronavirus patients to allow more doctors to be directed towards dealing with the pandemic.

Dr Gomm said: “I’ll be writing notes, ordering jobs, prescribing medication and tending to patients under supervision.

“I’ll be working in hospitals, but helping to relieve the pressures posed by non-Covid patients, who don’t necessarily need emergency care, but still need care – like provision of drugs and blood-taking.

“My long-term goal is paediatrics, but that dream is put on hold until this is all sorted.

“It’s weird to be referred to as doctor.

“It’s something I’ve been working towards for five years of medical school, so it’s weird that it’s finally come true.”