By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
The installation of the St John Ambulance V-Sat system in Port Moresby was not done through proper procedures at the first place, Pangtel acting director general Charles Punaha said yesterday.
He said that steps were now being undertaken to ensure the system at St John Ambulance headquarters at Rainbow meets all regulatory conditions.
Not withstanding this he said Pangtel approved in principle the provision of such services for emergency purposes as it was considered an essential service.
“St John is the only non-government emergency services provider, whose services are valued by the general public and as a statutory authority,” Mr Punaha said.
“Pangtel was compelled to ensure regulatory conditions do not hamper such essential services.
“In this regard, the need for telecommunication operators was to have emergency communication facilities as required and the access to St Johns services in line with these requirements,” he said.
Mr Punaha said in a statement that Pangtel, whilst developing the numbering codes to facilitate the introduction of competition, had resulted in Digicel subscribers to have access to the St John Ambulance response centre.
Mr Punaha said that he was only aware of some correspondence between St John Ambulance and national events council for St John to provide communications during the African Caribbean Pacific-European meeting in 2008.
“But I can confirm that St John has a trunk radio system to provide emergency services,” he said.
Mr Punaha said earlier that 70 held hand radios and the trunk radio system that was bought for K479,472 by AusAID was believed to be with the St John ambulance.
Despite a letter sent last March 22 to the suspended St John chief executive officer Doug Kelson, the equipment had not been returned till now.
Mr Kelson was then the council’s information/technology coordinator.
However, the acting St John Ambulance chief executive officer Joseph Asaigo said the equipment had been returned after the national events were held.
Current director general Alan Oaisa is still not available despite numerous calls to him to clarify this issue.