It’s a shame to disrupt EMS anywhere
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It’s a shame to disrupt EMS anywhere
PORT MORESBY: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), also known as ambulance services, is an important matter to any society in any country.
In an emergency, time is of essence and paramedic services can matter between life and death.
EMS is, therefore, an essential service that any government of the day must support and ensure that there is no disruption of services.
EMS treat illnesses and injuries that require urgent medical response, meaning providing out-of-hospital treatment and transport to definitive care.
It is, therefore, incumbent on any caring government to ensure that EMS is not disrupted in any way or for whatever reason. It’s just not acceptable to any citizen of any country.
Papua New Guinea’s Health Ministry must take immediate action to rectify the funding delay for St John Ambulance (SJA), the key EMS provider for the people.
SJA chief of emergency medicine Dr Sam Yockopua was absolutely right in condemning the delay in funding from the Central government which had forced the SJA board to cut back its services.
Here’s the full report published by The National:
Doctor slams delay in funding for St John
By Rebecca KUKUEMERGENCY services such as that provided by St John Ambulance save lives, a health department official says.
Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr Sam Yockopua has condemned the delay in funding from the Central provincial government which has forced the St John board to cut back its services to the province.
Yockopua, also the National Doctors’ Association secretary, said coordinated pre-hospital care which the ambulance service provided was important in saving lives.
“It is disappointing that the Central government still hasn’t signed an agreement with St John Ambulance to properly fund the vital work it does in the province,” he said.
“We really need to grasp the current health situation in the country and the role emergency services play in saving lives. Without dispute, St John Ambulance has always been the first responders to emergencies.
“There is no other ambulance service in Papua New Guinea that provides quality lifesaving emergency medical care and ambulance services without a fee, to the most critical emergency patients to save lives and limbs.” He said the medical help administered by a paramedic or emergency medical technician at the scene of an emergency was crucial in stabilising a patient before reaching the emergency room at the hospital. He said he had seen “far too many patients from Central unable to reach the general hospital in time to save their lives”.
He said there was no provincial hospital in Central, therefore funds should be made available to quickly move the seriously ill and injured to the Port Moresby General Hospital.
“If St John Ambulance can’t help these people in Central province who will answer their call for help?”
Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr Sam Yockopua has condemned the delay in funding from the Central provincial government which has forced the St John board to cut back its services to the province.
Yockopua, also the National Doctors’ Association secretary, said coordinated pre-hospital care which the ambulance service provided was important in saving lives.
“It is disappointing that the Central government still hasn’t signed an agreement with St John Ambulance to properly fund the vital work it does in the province,” he said.
“We really need to grasp the current health situation in the country and the role emergency services play in saving lives. Without dispute, St John Ambulance has always been the first responders to emergencies.
“There is no other ambulance service in Papua New Guinea that provides quality lifesaving emergency medical care and ambulance services without a fee, to the most critical emergency patients to save lives and limbs.” He said the medical help administered by a paramedic or emergency medical technician at the scene of an emergency was crucial in stabilising a patient before reaching the emergency room at the hospital. He said he had seen “far too many patients from Central unable to reach the general hospital in time to save their lives”.
He said there was no provincial hospital in Central, therefore funds should be made available to quickly move the seriously ill and injured to the Port Moresby General Hospital.
“If St John Ambulance can’t help these people in Central province who will answer their call for help?”
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