Strong coordination between health facilities and the National St John Ambulance (NStJA) enabled the timely treatment of 27 patients following a mass casualty motor vehicle crash along the Hiritano Highway in Central Province.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon between the Agevairu and Aikasiala sections of the highway when an open-back dyna truck carrying passengers ran off the road.

NStJA confirmed its National Ambulance Operations Centre (NAOC) received notification of the crash at 12:38PM through the emergency 111 line and immediately activated mass casualty emergency protocols.

Within minutes, multiple response units were deployed. The Bereina Reservist Ambulance Unit was dispatched at 12:39pm, followed by additional ambulances and responder units from Port Moresby from 12:40pm onwards.

In total, five ambulances and four responder units were deployed, staffed by first responders, paramedics, doctors, nurses, and health extension officers.

The first ambulance arrived on scene at 1:33PM and began patient triage and pre-hospital care.

With assistance from the Agevairu Health Centre, patients were stabilized and transported either to Agevairu or moved further along the highway to Doa, where Port Moresby-based teams conducted further assessments.

Five patients were identified as critically injured and transported on stretchers in ambulances.

The remaining 22 patients, including one seriously injured but stable and 21 with minor injuries, were transported according to injury severity using ambulances and responder vehicles.

Seven patients were transported by the Agevairu ambulance.

In Port Moresby, stable patients were taken to Gerehu Hospital, while critically injured patients were transferred to Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) for advanced care.

Executive Director for Ambulance Operations Terrence Torea, said despite pressure on resources, all patients received appropriate care.

He said a public advisory was issued during the response due to reduced ambulance availability across NCD and Central Province.

The emergency response concluded at 10:17pm, nearly 10 hours after it began, when the final critically injured patient was transferred to a hospital bed at PMGH.

Health authorities later confirmed that all critically injured patients were treated and are recovering, with no fatalities reported.

NStJA acknowledged the Central Provincial Health Authority, Agevairu Health Centre, NCD Provincial Health Authority, PMGH, and community members who assisted responders at the scene.