St John Ambulance Ghana Marks 79 Years


The St John Ambulance Brigade (SJAB) is a voluntary organisation founded in England in 1877 to provide First Aid support for public events and emergencies. 

The origin of the SJAB dates back more than 900 years to Jerusalem. 

The SJAB subsequently spread to other parts of the world. 

St John Ambulance Ghana (SJAG) is therefore a member of the Order of St John which is a major international charitable Organization. 

The main focus of the members is to alleviate human suffering through the training and provision of First Aid Services, Care, Disaster Management Preparedness, Ambulance Services and Community Health and Youth Development in over forty (40) countries around the world (majority being Commonwealth countries).

St John Ambulance Ghana was established by the British Police in 1937. 

A Governing Council was established by an Act of Parliament; ACT 57 of 1959. 

Ministry of Health started seconding staff to St John Ambulance after it took over from the Ghana Police Service. 

SJAG has three thousand volunteers in all ten regions of Ghana. 

SJAG works as a health service delivery organisation subvented under the MOH providing mainly First Aid training and boxes as well as standby Ambulance duties to public gatherings and at community level. 

The Agency also provides Ambulance training. 
Currently, SJAG is expanding its functions to meet the changing health needs of society as well as youth development programs. 

St John day is celebrated worldwide on 24th June which coincides with the feast day of St John the Baptist.

Over the 79 years of its existence, SJAG has undertaken several duties for God and Country. SJAG has rendered unparalleled charitable services to humanity; trained thousands of Ghana’s workforces in First Aid, provided emergency services to victims of disasters; provided First Aid cover at national, traditional and corporate meets. 

TRAINING

SJAG has provided First Aid training programmes guided by international standard. Some of these training programmes include: Basic Emergency First Aid, First Aid at Work, Lifesaver International First Aid, Advance First Aid, Aviation First Aid, Sport First Aid, Trainer Foundation, and First Aid Trainer among others. 

Organisations that have benefitted from our training programmes includes: Bank of Ghana (Security Department), Goldfields Exploration Limited, Jodi Construction, City Link – Domestic, Guinness Ghana Breweries  Ltd, School of Hygiene (Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital), Graphic Group of Communications,  Antrak Airline, African World Airline, Standard Chartered Bank, M. Barbisoti & Sons, Barbex Tech. Service, GCNet, Fly 540 Airline, Goldfields Ghana Limited (Damang Mine W/R),  Nestle Ghana Ltd, Golden Star Resources, Starbow Airline,  Shoprite Super Market, Anglogold Ashanti, Obuasi Mines, PW Ghana Ltd, Keegan Resource Ltd, Churches, Help Age Ghana, Controller and Accountant General Dept, Social Advance Institute, Ghana Education Service, and National Sports Council among others.

FIRST AID COVER AT OUR STADIA AND NATIONAL EVENTS

St John Ambulance Ghana has provided essential First Aid services to the public across the country. 

It continues to provide stadium duties in all the stadia across the country as well as functions held by corporate organisations including religious organisation. 

Prominent among them are: Independence Day Anniversary celebrations on 6th March each year; May Day celebrations across the country, Accra International Milo Marathons, Malta Guinness Pan African Street Dance, Royal Durbars, National Farmers’ Day, Health and Peace Walks, Inter-School Games, Clean-Up Exercises, Quiz Competitions, Keep Fit Exercises, Clinic Volunteering and Health Education, among others.

Notable among other services rendered was one during the unfortunate collapse of a supermarket at Achimota, a suburb of Accra, which has come to be known as the Melcom Disaster in November, 2012. 

St John deployed emergency team that worked in collaboration with other Emergency Medical Services Organisations during the entire period of the rescue exercise.

The Ministry of Health impressed upon St John Ambulance Ghana to assist in the establishment of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in 2004. 

This was after a Commission of Enquiry set up to look into the Stadium disaster in 2001 recommended the establishment of NAS.   

St John Ambulance Ghana is, therefore, privileged to be part of the rich history of the National Ambulance Service (NAS). 

NAS started operation at a desk allocated to it within a small office SJAG used to operate from, until a new and modest structure was built for SJAG and NAS by the Ministry of Health. 

NAS occupies the top floor of the two-storey structure. 

Again, SJAG trained earlier batches of employees of NAS in Manual Handling and Medical Conditions, key areas in the knowledge and skill acquisition for emergency services provision.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT:

Over the years SJAG has paid particular attention to the youth that form the core of our volunteers. 

First Aid training are given to them periodically, skill acquisition platforms have been created for them. 

Over 10, 000 school children from second circle institutions have been given free training nationwide for the past 10 years alone. In addition they are taught the spirit of volunteerism 

School Clubs undergoing First Aid Training at Kumbugu N/R.

FIRST AID BOXES

St John Ambulance has been producing First Aid Kits to many institutions all these years. The boxes includes car kits, standard and industrial boxes.


ROAD SAFETY

St John Ambulance Ghana continues to be a major stakeholder with the National Road Safety Commission. 

Volunteers of SJAG have been organising and educating people at the lorry stations, markets, etc. 

in villages, towns and major cities as our contribution towards the reduction of unnecessary accidents. 

The education also gives participants the basic skills in First Aid when the need arises.

NATIONAL ELECTION MEDICAL TEAM

SJAG is a member of the National Election Medical Team. We have been deploring staff and volunteers to offer First Aid services to election officers and electorates during the District Assembly and Presidential/ Parliamentary elections.

CHALLENGES: 

St John Ambulance Ghana is faced with a myriad of challenges:  
	
Funding from MOH to SJAG as a subvented Organisation under the Ministry is meagre and delays.
	
St John Ambulance Ghana ironically lacks Ambulances. It cannot boast of a well-functioning Ambulance vehicle, let alone a state-of-the-art one.
	
Inadequate Training equipment (Trainer AEDs, Adult/Infant Manikins, etc.)
OUTLOOK

The future of SJAG looks bright even in the face of current challenges.        

A couple of reasons would suffice:
	
Many of the populace are getting to understand the importance of First Aid and emergency service provision; and hence, continue to avail themselves for training and request for professional service.
	
Plans are underway to suggest the school club concept in a form of taught course in our tertiary institutions to the Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education
	
Organisations are showing interest in partnering SJAG in areas such as supply equipment, sponsorships of various forms. Many more of similar intentions across the globe are welcome.
	
Government of Ghana is importing and supplying Ambulances and other vehicles to its agencies and departments. 

SJAG will also have its fair share to execute its mandate as given to it through the Act that established it.

On this special day, we salute our clients, stakeholder, volunteers and all EMS organisations in Ghana for braving the storm in the challenging emergency medical services provision. 

Ayekoo! Police EMS team, Red Cross, National Ambulance Service, West Africa Rescue Association, Military EMS Team and all other EMS organisations in Ghana St. John Ambulance Ghana.


By CEO St John Ambulance, Kwame Apedzi