Since 1957, St John Ambulance has been a proud provider of first aid services in Papua New Guinea, holding the important position of the nation’s largest first aid training provider.
Training is delivered in the nation’s capital of Port Moresby, as well as directly to worksites across and communities Papua New Guinea, which makes it easy for people to gain or maintain their first aid qualifications.
Last year, the Workplace First Aid Training graduated 2,661 individuals across various industries, equipping them with Level 1-3 certificates.
The First Aid in Schools (FAIS) programme provided free first aid training to 1,285 Year Nine students from selected schools nationwide, nurturing a cadre of future first aid leaders as they progress in their academic pursuits.
Additionally, for the first time, the St John team began to deliver advanced resuscitation training for hospital nurses, with 443 nurses trained in health facilities throughout Port Moresby.
Complementing these efforts, our public awareness programmes reached 703 individuals, further expanding the reach of lifesaving first aid knowledge.
In total, 5,092 individuals benefited from St John’s first aid training programmes last year.
What is/was the challenge?
Reflecting on the experience, First Aid Training Manager Joannah Mea highlights the significant challenge of providing effective first aid training in a country characterised by diverse communities with varying accessibility, cultural backgrounds, and literacy levels.
What was your response?
Addressing this challenge involved tailoring training materials and methodologies to suit local contexts and learning styles. Central to our approach is the utilisation of end of course participant surveys, administered prior to training sessions, to tailor our delivery to the specific needs of attendees. This approach enhances participants’ learning experiences, fostering confidence in applying acquired knowledge and skills.
Which of our St John values does your response link to?
Our commitment to excellence in first aid training ensures that participants leave our sessions recognising St John Ambulance PNG as the premier choice for first aid education.
What has been your biggest piece of learning from your work this year?
Many of our participants are pioneers in their families and communities, being the first to receive such crucial first-aid training. This highlights the continuous demand for our services.
We significantly enriched our training programmes by introducing the customised Emergency First Aid Manual for Papua New Guinea, developed in collaboration with St John Ambulance Australia Ltd. The community has given positive feedback on it.
St John is dedicated to fostering community engagement and collaboration to ensure people have access to first aid training.
You can read the rest of our Annual Report for 2023 here.
