Youngsters from remote school undergo city first aid training with St John

THE Mongulu Health Centre in Western’s Middle Fly can barely provide services to the people who have to walk long distances to access it, a school principal says.
Mongulu Secondary School’s founder and the principal’s wife, Sally Lloyd, raised this concern after her students received first aid training and certificates from St John Ambulance in Port Moresby on Wednesday.
“Where there is a lack of basic health services, this first aid training is invaluable, in that they can take this knowledge back to their communities and teach
their families, where cases of snakebites from death adders, seizures among other emergency situations can be managed,” Lloyd said.
“Sometimes we take for granted the fact that we can call an ambulance or have the knowledge of simple first aid, but where it is lacking, this is a vital skill to have.
“There are no major roads and the only way to access services is to walk and sometimes it takes five to six days. Four to five hours away from each other, so we are grateful for this experience.”
St John Ambulance public affairs director Lulu Mark said: “This is the first time we conducted this training for a remote school. We go around to schools in the city to train students especially Grade Nines and have a plan for national coverage. But it is a real honour to help this one remote school to visit us for this training.”
Student Elisa Iso said: “I always wanted to be a community health worker and am grateful that I will receive my first certificate in first aid training, it is a motivation for me to achieve my dreams, no matter where I live.”
Lloyd and 23 Grade 12 students from Mongulu Secondary School are in Port Moresby for a school excursion.