Witero’s passion to save lives

 By SHARLYNE ERI
DURING an emergency, a life may depend on the work of people dedicated to delivering first aid service.
St John Ambulance worker Witero Farome is one. He says one of life’s greatest satisfactions is to save another life. He has being doing that in the past two-and-a-half years.
While most of us go to work every day to put food on the table, he does his job to put a smile on people’s faces.
Farome, 55, is an ambulance officer with the St John Ambulance Service. He hails from Henganofi in Eastern Highlands. He graduated from the Goroka Nursing School in 1980 and was first posted to a rural health centre in Vanimo, West Sepik.
From Vanimo, he moved to East Sepik where he worked as a nursing officer for five years.
In 1985, he moved to Chimbu, and worked there until 2005 when he was laid off.
Witero missed the work he had been doing which always made a difference in somebody’s life. He did not want to throw away the 29-year experience he had gained in nursing.
At 55, one would normally retire and head back to the villages for some peace and quiet.
Witero decided he still had a lot to give back to the community.
In 2014, he joined the St John Ambulance Services as an ambulance officer. He and 15 other officers respond to emergency cases every day.
When they arrive at the site of an emergency, they assess the conditions of the people and attend to injured people first. They try to keep them stable by conducting first aid procedures before returning to a hospital.
Witero also plays the role of a mentor towards his colleagues because of his qualification and experience. He teaches them some basic first aid tips and always helps them out when he can.
The pay is “average” and has never really been a concern for him because he loves the work he does for injured people or those in need of help.
“Though I receive pay that is less than what I was receiving before, I keep doing what I do because saving a life is something worth doing,” he said.
“I don’t do it for the money. I do it for the people who need my help.
“I love the job that I do because it keeps me busy. I am happy that the 29 years’ experience as a nursing officer is helping me save lives today.”
He has been with the St John Ambulance for about two-and-a-half years and was recently promoted to the rank of Sergeant in recognition of his dedication and the effort he puts in to his duty as an ambulance officer.
Witero is humbled with the promotion saying it came as a shock.
He thanked St John for recognising the dedication and efforts of its staff and said the promotion will only motivate him more to go the extra mile.
He believes that working with a humanitarian organisation such as St John is an honour and he is looking forward to saving more lives.
He believes it is what he is good at.