In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, the Sovereign Order of Malta has up-graded its first-aid service in St Peter’s Square with the arrival of a new electric ambulance, the E-Ambukart. The vehicle, designed to operate in areas where access to traditional ambulances is limited, was donated by the Order of Malta’s Canadian Association with the support of Count and Countess Harry and Aline Dobržensky de Dobrženicz. The fully electric E-Ambukart, furnished with first-aid equipment, will be used alongside the ambulance donated for the Jubilee of 2000.

The official ceremony took place in the Vatican on Monday, 2 December 2024, at the First-Aid Post in the Braccio di Carlo Magno, attended by Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap. The event included a solemn blessing by the Prelate of the Order of Malta, Msgr. Luis Manuel Cuña Ramos, with the participation of eminent representatives of the Order of Malta and the Vatican Health Service, including Grand Hospitaller Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis. Also present were the Director and Deputy Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican, Prof. Andrea Arcangeli and Dr. Luigi Carbone, together with Prof. Domenico Arduini, manager of the First-Aid Post, and numerous volunteers.

During the event, Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap expressed his profound gratitude to the volunteers present, acknowledging their constant dedication. He also assured his prayers for their work during the jubilee year, stressing the importance of their contribution to the Order’s humanitarian and spiritual mission.

The Order of Malta’s First Aid Post, established in 1950 under the pontificate of Pius XII, is open every day of the year to assist pilgrims in St Peter’s Square, working closely with the Vatican health authorities. It currently has a team of some 90 volunteers providing an essential service for visitors’ safety and well-being.