St John brings in more ambulances

By Martin Johnston

The St John Ambulance service will have 10 vehicles and 27 staff dedicated to Apec events.

They will attend leaders' meetings, drive in selected motorcades, and be stationed at Auckland Airport for "critical arrivals and departures."

A spokesman for the service, Evan Gordon, said yesterday that during Apec it was supplementing its 50 Auckland vehicles and more than 200 staff with four vehicles and four staff from outside the region.

Normal emergency services would not be affected, he said.

Dr Nigel Murray, general manager of planning for Auckland Healthcare, operator of Auckland Hospital, said his organisation was taking a "business-as-usual" approach to Apec.

It was making virtually no special provisions apart from a health hotline being run with other agencies.

The telephone number would be published in Apec literature and hotline staff would discuss the healthcare available, including sending a GP to a visitor's hotel.

Auckland Healthcare had arranged with the Housecall general practice for its doctors to respond.