The medical stations of the Order’s Italian Ambulance Corps have been added to the First-Aid Post in St. Peter’s Square, run by the Order of Malta since 1975 in cooperation with the Holy See. This unit is also providing medical assistance to pilgrims 24 hours a day.On the afternoon of Wednesday, 6 April, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra’ Andrew Bertie visited the first-aid post of the Italian Ambulance Corps of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (CISOM) in Via della Conciliazione (St. Peter’s Square).

The CISOM has been present in the area from Saturday 2 April 2005 and will remain for the entire week of the pilgrimage to St. Peter’s basilica to pay homage to the Holy Father.

The CISOM has two first-aid stations, one fixed and the other mobile, with a team of over 100 doctors, paramedics and volunteers working three shifts of eight hours each, 24 hours a day. Yesterday, eight doctors from the Order’s German Ambulance Corps (Malteser) also joined this group.

Since the early hours of Sunday morning 3 April to 8 p.m. on Wednesday 6 April, there have been over 900 requests for first-aid, and it is expected that these will increase in the coming hours as the number of pilgrims present in the via della Conciliazione area swells.

The medical stations of the Order’s Italian Ambulance Corps have been added to the First-Aid Post in St. Peter’s Square, run by the Order of Malta since 1975 in cooperation with the Holy See. This unit is also providing medical assistance to pilgrims 24 hours a day.

Over two million pilgrims, some queuing for 20 hours, have come to pay their last respects to John Paul II. Over four million pilgrims are expected to arrive shortly in Rome for the funeral of His Holiness, as well as over 200 heads of state and government.

The Grand Master was deeply moved by the immense crowd of faithful: “I have never seen anything like this in all my life. It is truly an extraordinary demonstration of love and respect towards the Holy Father.”