St John boss ready to wear his award with honour

By REBECCA KUKU
ST JOHN Ambulance Commissioner Matthew Cannon will receive his Officer of the Order of St John award later this month.
The date is yet to be decided.
Cannon, 30, was named for the award in November.
He said that it was a privilege and working for an ambulance service was “like no other job in the world”.
“I am doubly blessed as the work St John performs around the world holds a substantial place in my heart, and Papua New Guinea has become my transitory home and I have the chance to live in this beautiful land surrounded with such diversity.”
“There is no other profession where you would walk into someone’s house and they would hand you their newborn baby without hesitation; it’s a tremendous responsibility and as CEO of St John, I have never taken this responsibility lightly.
“I am passionate about seeing St John Ambulance able to contribute to the already amazing work being done by nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health workers here. Ambulance is a moderate but important part of the big health picture.”
Cannon said that as a paramedic, there was no greater feeling than knowing your direct intervention and application of life-saving medical treatment has meant the patient has got to hospital alive.
“It is a real honour to work in a health system with so many clinicians that really care about their patients, as I experience here in PNG,” he said.
Cannon is a registered paramedic and adjunct lecturer in paramedicine at Charles Sturt University, Australia. He started his career with St John in 2003 as a cadet and is now a registered paramedic and nurse. He worked for NSW Ambulance for eight years and in 2014 was seconded from Ambulance to the NSW Minister for Health Office as ministerial liaison officer.
Cannon has a broad range of experience in St John, including in research, operations and management roles and has been key in shaping the St John-PNG Government Ambulance master plan. His focus in PNG is to increase St John’s community and commercial activities, while overseeing the establishment of a national ambulance service.
Chairman of the National St John Council of Papua New Guinea Jean Kekedo said the council recently extended Cannon’s contract for three years, recognising the much-needed growth and regained community confidence in St John in the communities, under Cannon’s leadership.
Kekedo said that the acceptance of Cannon into the Queen’s Order was clear recognition of the significant contribution he has made to progressing quality ambulance and emergency services in PNG.