St John New Zealand comes to the aid of its Fijian neighbours

St John is sending emergency vehicles and lifesaving clinical equipment to help the people of Fiji as the country grapples with the growing number of COVID-19 cases.

The move is in response to a request for aid from St John Fiji to its international ambulance counterparts.

The emergency vehicles comprise of four Toyota four-wheel-drive Land Cruisers with stretchers, which will enable St John Fiji ambulance officers to navigate the island nation’s mountainous terrain to quickly locate, treat, and transport patients.

St John New Zealand is also gifting personal protective equipment (PPE) including 2,000 gowns and masks, seven Lifepak defibrillators, warm clothing including bespoke fleece jackets and beanies for Fijian ambulance officers, and financial assistance to cover the cost of oxygen cylinders.

“We’re in the business of helping people in need, and our brothers and sisters in Fiji need our support right now, so it is our duty to help them however we can. We have a strong connection with St John across the globe, and with Fiji being one of our closest Pacific neighbours, we are pleased to be in a position to provide some assistance,” says Dan Ohs, St John Deputy Chief Executive, Ambulance Operations.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in Fiji and will be prepared to provide further assistance if needed.”

The equipment and vehicles will be sent to Fiji in two shipments, the first of which will set sail from Auckland this Friday, 16 July, arriving Wednesday, 21 July 2021.