Busiest Year In History Of St. John Ambulance

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31238, 9 December 1966, Page 10

Busiest Year In History Of St. John Ambulance

This year had been the busiest in the history of the St. John Ambulance Association’s Christchurch Subcentre, said the chairman (Mr D. H. Lawrence) in his report to the annual meeting of the sub-centre. Its ambulances had carried 27,192 patients and travelled 145,874 miles. This was an increase of 2199 patients and 8670 miles. Costs continued to rise, said Mr Lawrence, and the accounts showed an excess of expenditure over income of £1242. Class expenses had increased with the appointment of a full-time instructor and £3186 had been spent on the Peterborough street property. The new policy, where the North Canterbury Hospital Board had authority designated by the Health Department to make grants to cover the cost of the ambulance service, had proved most satisfactory, said Mr Lawrence. The first-aid caravan was used on 32 occasions and the two “ambu-mannikins” were used on 153 occasions at public classes and group meetings. There were 116 classes and 1172 persons qualified during the year—this compared favourably with the 892 who qualified last year, said Mr Lawrence. He expressed appreciation for the help given to the classes by members

of the medical and nursing professions. Officers elected were:— President, Mr J. H. Skinner; vice-presidents, the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren, the Rev. Father K. J. Clark, Messrs W. D. Douglas, J. Green, D. H. Lawrence, H. E. Read, Dr. C. J. J. Morkane, Dr. J. Restell Thomas; committee, Messrs J. Abrams, J. D. Bull, D. A. Dawson, J. D. Diggs, A. B. Jarmey, G. Ogilvie, R. C. Saunders, M. L. Taylor, R. C. Wasley, and Dr. W. J. Pryor.