TEN officers from the National Fire Authority Emergency Management Service (EMS) are receiving training from the National Fire Agency Taiwan after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two institutions.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, NFA chief executive officer Puamau Sowane said the authority was confident the officers would receive training from some of the best in the world in emergency medical technician and pre-hospital care.
“We were once merely a medical transport department, but with the revised structure that led to the establishment of our new paramedics department we are gradually transforming into a service that attends to emergency victims and conducts pre-hospital care before safe transfers to the nearest hospital,” Mr Sowane said.
“Over the past five years, our ambulance services accounted only 26 per cent of the total number of calls we received, 74 percent we could not account for due to lack of resources, misalignment of our internal policies, lack of proper training in EMS and loss of public trust to the service we are providing.
“This collaboration will change the whole framework of the EMS system in Fiji. In the next five years, we expect that the confidence of the people of Fiji will rise significantly as an outcome of this corporate engagement.”
He said the event marked a significant leap towards improving the NFA’s paramedics department and was the realisation of a dream.
“We are truly amazed at the rapid development of EMS system in Taiwan since the 1960s to what it is today. It has evolved from just a basic EMS system transporting emergency victims to a modern EMS system supported by its legislation that includes important concepts of EMS.
“We are grateful that NFA Taiwan is a willing partner in enhancing paramedic services in Fiji as we aim to set a new standard for EMT and paramedics in the Pacific region and for that, we will always be grateful to our Taiwanese counterparts.
“It will fetch a new era for the two agencies, unforgettable memories, and an everlasting friendship.
Mr Sowane said the partnership would help address the demand for paramedic and ambulance services in Fiji.
