St. John Ambulance

St. John Ambulance Association was established in 1912 and St. John Ambulance Brigade in 1928 in India.

St. John Ambulance India is the Indian branch of St. John Ambulance, an international organization involved in teaching and practice of medical first aid and the provision of ambulance services. It has its national headquarters in Delhi and operates as a federation. There are two operational wings often called the Association Wing (which delivers first aid training) and the Brigade Wing (which delivers first aid at public events).

Its emblems are registered under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper use) Act XII of 1950 and this organization is also known vide St. John Ambulance Association(India) Transfer of Funds Act 1956 ( Act 21 to 1956).

St. John Ambulance (India) is a national federation of 36 State/UT Centres, 12 Railway Centres apart from over 600 Regional /District/Local Centres.

Key Activities

  • First Aid, Home Nursing and allied training.
  • First Aid posts to provide First Aid services in large public congregations.

  • Provide ambulance services to transport casualties to hospitals.

History

Surgeon-Major William George Nicholas Manley of the Royal Regiment of Artillery established St. John Ambulance in 1873. In 1912, the St. John Ambulance Association was granted autonomy and the Council was created. The first nursing division was established in 1913 and the first cadet division in 1925. Prior to 1934, St. John Ambulance and the Indian Red Cross maintained separate identities although they undertook joint relief work. The two organisations became affiliated in 1934 to ensure harmonious relations between the two bodies, to avoid overlapping and to ensure that ambulance work was given its rightful place in conjunction with Red Cross responsibilities. At independence, the Indian St. John Council was granted entire control over the work that was being carried out in 526 divisions.

St. John Ambulance (Parsi Ambulance Division) was first started in Bombay in 1902. St. John Ambulance activities started in Calcutta around 1905 and 1910.

St. John Ambulance National Activities started in 1912. In Bengal, when St. John Ambulance activities started, it had its units in all the districts of Bengal (including East Bengal, now Bangladesh).