ST JOHN AMBULANCE SERVICE COMISSIONED IN UNGAI BENA DISTRICT
BY VICKY BAUNKE, in Unggai Bena
THE Unggai Bena district has become the first district in the Eastern Highlands Province and the Highlands region to partner with the National St John Ambulance service to improve emergency health service delivery in rural communities.
The National St John’s Ambulance services is an independent statutory authority that operates the emergency Ambulance service under the National Department of Health.
The ambulance service is an initiative of Unggai Bena MP and Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Kinoka Feo, funded through more than K2 million from the Unggai Bena District Development Authority’s health sector allocation.
Minister Feo’s decision to enter politics was to bring access to better health services to the people, after witnessing a firsthand fatality of a mother from a remote part of the district who lost her life during labour.
The St John Ambulance service has been operating in the district since February this year and has already responded to more than 61 emergency cases including one high risk emergency of an 18 year old sick patient.
The service was officially launched at the district headquarters in Lahame by Minister Feo in partnership with the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority CEO Dr Warima Pomuso, and St John Ambulance CEO Kai Tane.
The service includes three fully-equipped ambulance vehicles and seven personnel comprising three trainees, three qualified ambulance officers, and a zone commander.
The ambulance service will operate within a 30-kilometre radius from Unggai Bena, extending as far as Daulo and Henganofi districts, while prioritising communities within Unggai Bena.
Dr Pomuso thanked Minister Feo and St John Ambulance for the partnership and called on other leaders in the province to invest in similar emergency health services.
Minister Feo said the service would also assist neighbouring districts while maintaining priority for the people of Unggai Bena.
