Ambulance attacked

National

By GYNNIE KERO

AN ambulance team from St Johns standing by for the Trukai Fun Run in Port Moresby yesterday was attacked by rascals.
Chief officer Matt Cannon said the rascals were trying to steal ambulance equipment, including a defibrillator.
“These types of attacks are simply unacceptable,” Cannon said.
“We call on the police to investigate and pursue this matter to the full extent. We will continue to respond to emergencies throughout the country but call on the community to take all necessary measures to protect our ambulance officers.
“A resuscitation kit and personal belongings are believed to have been stolen. Our ambulance team escaped without injury.
“We thank the overwhelming majority of people who came to the fun run to have a good time,” Cannon said.
“It is disappointing that a small group of people have muddied the water. I want to personally thank the police and Trukai Fun Run volunteers who came to the rescue and located our equipment.
“This is the second attack on ambulance workers in PNG in the last week. A New Britain Palm Oil Ltd ambulance driver in Alotau was shot through the chest when responding to an emergency earlier (last) week.
“We call on the community to protect our ambulance officers and paramedics who put their lives on the line every day so that others may live. A St John Ambulance helicopter medical team (critical care doctors and advanced paramedics) retrieved the patient from Alotau Hospital to PIH hospital on Friday. The patient is in a serious condition.
“Every day we see people flock and crowd around incident scenes, these people get in the way of our ambos giving emergency treatment. This type of behaviour needs to stop.”