On this year’s International St John Day (24 June 2025), the National St John Ambulance (NStJA) has reflected on its growing impact across Papua New Guinea, highlighting a major milestone of nearly 140,000 emergency responses since January 2018.
The organization reported a total of 139,997 emergency cases attended to over the past seven years, delivering life-saving medical care to individuals in both urban and rural communities across the country.
Each emergency response tells a story of help arriving in time — from women affected by violence to mothers in labour, children suffering from serious illness, and countless others in need of urgent medical assistance.
This milestone shows the dedication and expertise of St John’s frontline personnel and the organization’s increasing ability to provide faster, more skilled emergency care nationwide.
Women and girls represent the majority of those served, with 72,187 female patients receiving emergency support during this period.
Of these, 18,200 were obstetric and maternal emergencies, highlighting St John’s vital role in maternal health and safe childbirth across the country.
The most common patients cared for were young women aged 14 to 30, indicating the trust communities place in the service when faced with emergency medical situations affecting mothers, daughters, and sisters.
Over the past four years alone, St John’s national ambulance fleet has travelled more than 4.1 million kilometres, reaching people in every corner of the country.
Presently, the organization responds to over 40,000 emergency cases each year—an increase from just 1,000 cases per year a decade ago – a transformation made possible through the leadership of Dame Jean Kekedo, Peter Lowing, and Matt Cannon.
In the past, organized public ambulance services did not exist.
Thanks to their hard work and commitment, an important service was created that now helps hundreds of people every day as part of the national health service.
The demand for emergency care continues to grow, with an average yearly increase of 33%—a clear indication of both the rising need for services and increased public reliance on emergency medical care in towns, villages, and remote areas alike.
Under the Marape-Rosso Government, and with the stewardship of Interim Chief Executive Dr Arabella Koliwan, the National St John Ambulance Council is working in close partnership with other provinces through the Ministry of Health, to expand access and strengthen ambulance services across the country.
In this way, all Papua New Guineans, regardless of location, can receive professional, compassionate, and timely emergency care when it is needed most.
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