The Green Angels, or the ambulance officers of the National St. John Ambulance Service (NStJA), were hard at work keeping communities safe during the holiday season while families celebrated Christmas throughout the country.
The National Capital District (NCD), Central Province, Morobe Province, and East New Britain were the four provinces where 18 ambulance teams were on duty every day. These teams responded to 227 emergency situations between 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 6:00 a.m. on Boxing Day, providing life-saving treatment where it was most needed.
St. John responded to a variety of emergencies, such as car crashes, difficult deliveries, respiratory issues, trauma, and snakebite, according to the Duty Operations Commanding Officer, Lawrence Steven.
To ensure a prompt and well-coordinated response, teams received assistance from regional commanders, NCD fast response physicians, and other medical support units.
To support the frontline troops, a total of 26 emergency response units were available throughout the regions.
Steven characterized the Christmas season as “relatively calm” in spite of the pressures and urged communities to keep celebrating in a responsible manner.
“We’re grateful to the public for their corporation, which allowed us to focus on those in need. Let’s maintain this spirit as we head into the New Year.”
He also appealed for ongoing cooperation in ensuring everyone’s safety and health throughout this Christmas season and praised the communities and NStJA’s hardworking workers for their efforts.