St John Ambulance (SJA) PNG will now significantly bolster its emergency response capabilities with another new technological customised vehicle, thanks to Bank South Pacific.
The bank has donated K225,000 to SJA PNG for the purchase of this Emergency Response Vehicle. The K225,000 also covers maintenance and insurance support over a period of five years effective from 2018 to 2022.
BSP Port Moresby branch manager Diana Guria reaffirmed this when officially announcing the bank's commitment to the SJA PNG Service in Port Moresby.
“St John is most often the first point of contact in medical emergencies. Our support is a demonstration of the confidence that we have in continuing the worthy services rendered to the community,” said Guria.
“BSP values the great community service that the SJA does particularly here in NCD and the Central Province and we are happy to support the organisation. We hope the public will respect the SJA staff and these vehicles as they help save lives of our people who need these services,” she added.
SJA PNG Chief Executive Officer, Commissioner Matthew Cannon, said: “Responding to an average of over 40 incidents each day, the St John Ambulance Service plays a crucial role in providing emergency medical services. And such services can only be maintained with support from organisations such as Bank South Pacific (BSP).
“This vehicle is used as a paramedic response vehicle, meaning we can get critical care to the patient in the minutes after a medical emergency occurs.
“Even when paramedics are off duty, we can be called upon to respond to a serious incident. This paramedic command vehicle provides us an opportunity to improve our services as well as efficient delivery of emergency response.
“We are grateful for this help and will continue to deliver to the community with this great support,” said Commissioner Cannon.
The support by BSP is not the first time, as the bank has also played a key role in supporting the operations through other valuable services like the School for the Blind and the Blood Bank.