St John Ambulance provides paramedicine programme

By Rebecca Kuku
St John Ambulance is providing a paramedicine programme for the National Capital District, chief officer Matt Conn says.
Conn said the new paramedic ambulances were staffed with qualified health extension officers and emergency medical technicians.
“Both groups have undertaken further training conducted in collaboration with the New South Wales Government Ambulance Service to ensure these professionals have the skills and training to bring emergency medical care to the patient, rather than just be drivers.
“We’ve already seen many lives saved because of St John paramedics in PNG. People were so sick that without advanced paramedic treatment would not have made the journey to hospital,” he said.
He said outside of NCD, St John Ambulance had focused its efforts on response, stabilisation and retrieval of patients from health centres in Central, taking patients back to the Port Moresby General Hospital.
“The new paramedicine programme includes emergency response, medical retrieval and coverage of major events like Apec, Rugby League World Cup and the NCD festivals.
“St John also provided special operations team members to support the Royal PNG Constabulary-led security operations in the Highlands region during the national election under the new paramedicine programme.”
He said currently there were seven ambulances on the road at any one time, plus two rapid response vehicles.