St John Ambulance records 267 emergencies over Christmas
The National St John Ambulance attended to a total of 267 emergencies during its Christmas operations across the country.
The figures cover the period from 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve [24 December] to 6:00 am on Boxing Day (26 December) in the National Capital District, Central Province, Lae, and East New Britain.
The highest number of emergencies were recorded in NCD with 128 cases, followed by Lae with 81, Central Province with 38, and East New Britain with 20.
New Guinea Islands Regional Commander Laiboi Laiboi said a strong and visible police presence helped create a calmer atmosphere in East New Britain.
“The demand increased on Thursday afternoon, but with our festive operations plan and arrangements for an additional crew and command responder support, we managed well.
“Generally, it was a quiet Christmas in the communities we responded to.
"There were no objects thrown on the roads like in the past. The celebrations were quiet and safer for our crew.
"We hope it will be the same for New Year,” Commander Laiboi said.
In Lae, Momase Regional Commander Anderson Poumb said the situation was also calm, supported by strong police visibility.
“Our ambulance operations continued as normal, with our two ambulances and the additional unit deployed for Christmas.
"Although there were some delays due to all units being engaged at times, the team continued responding to every emergency call,” Commander Poumb said.
In NCD and Central Province, the general atmosphere was also quiet, especially on Christmas Eve.
However, NStJA recorded an increase in physical assault-related emergencies, with more than 10 cases reported on Christmas night.
Duty Operations Commander Johel Tewi raised serious concerns following an incident in the early hours of Friday morning. An ambulance crew responding to emergencies in the 9-Mile and 14-Mile areas of NCD was threatened by intoxicated men demanding betel nut, cigarettes and money.
“The National St John Ambulance strongly condemns the harassment of crews responding to emergencies," Tewi said.
“Ambulances should not be stopped while responding to calls, and the safety of our staff must be respected at all times. Communities must take ownership and ensure ambulance crews remain safe when responding in their areas."
NStJA has acknowledged the support of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and communities across all operational areas.
For the festive season, additional ambulance crews were deployed in Port Moresby from Monday, December 22, and this arrangement will continue through to Sunday, January 4, 2026.
These crews are operating 12-hour shifts from 11:00am to 11:00pm, providing extra coverage alongside regular ambulance services.
In Lae and Kokopo, an additional ambulance crew was on duty from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day and will again be deployed on New Year’s Eve.
An extra responder unit will also be placed on standby, depending on operational demand.