Medical officers graduate from new programme

National

THE St John Ambulance has graduated its first batch of officers from its new paramedic programme.
Chief officer Dr Matthew Cannon said three groups graduated – three from paramedic, 14 level-one ambulance officers and seven emergency medical technicians.
He said the paramedic and technicians would address six core areas:

  • Improve overall patient outcomes through quality pre-hospital care;
  • reduce maternal and infant mortality through advanced pre-hospital obstetric training;
  • improving healthcare for persons in police situations;
  • provide effective care to trauma patients, especially road-related trauma;
  • reduce death and disability from treatable conditions; and,
  • Deploy paramedics to health centres to help clinic staff manage patients with serious medical emergencies.

“The majority of healthcare in PNG is delivered in rural health centres by dedicated nurses and community health workers. This environment is still arguably considered pre-hospital,” Cannon said.
“The paramedic programme is specifically tailored to filling the gaps in the health system between the place the patient becomes sick and a major hospital.
“The result of this gap is often unnecessary death and disability, especially for the one in 20 women who die from pregnancy, often because they are
unable to reach a major obstetric hospital.”
National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop congratulated St John Ambulance for initiating the programme which would help meet the needs of the population.