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Blaise Rego ASM: Australia Day Honours 2025

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Blaise Rego of Perth, a paramedic in the Ambulance Service , has been felicitated with an Australia Day Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) in recognition of his distinguished service.

“My first reactions were feelings of pride and honour,” Rego told Indian Link. “I was mostly appreciative that someone within my organisation thought highly enough of me to do the research of my accomplishments over the past 20 years, and take the time and effort to nominate me for this prestigious honour.”

“As frontline employees in patient care, we undertake our duties without seeking acknowledgement or thanks, so to be recognised for my contribution to the ambulance
service, and the legacy that I am able to leave for the next generation, is very special.”

Blaise Rego ASM has twenty years of experience in emergency clinical and operational response at St John WA, a charitable, non-profit, humanitarian organisation, which, for over 130 years, which has been servicing and operating as an integral part of the WA community. It teaches first aid and delivers the State’s ambulance service while also shaping and leading the sector nationally.

He has held numerous operational roles during this time, with lead positions in the development and implementation of several key internal programs and initiatives, such as the Paramedic Mentor Program, Event Health Services Bike Squad and Mangar ELK Safety Lifting Device.

Rego has assisted in several significant collaborations between St John WA, Royal Perth Hospital Cardiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital and Joondalup Health Campus that resulted in paramedic professional development, VEM (Virtual Emergency Medicine) implementation and RACE (Rapid Access Clinic for Elderly) support.

His passion for improvement also saw him involved in the PARTY (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) program.

Rego was an integral part of the success of the 2021 Metropolitan Management team pilot in the South West District, as well as a key contributor and administrator for the organisation-wide Leadership Interest Group.

“These initiatives required detailed business planning, budget management and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve organisational objectives. These partnerships have led to improved patient care pathways and outcomes, as well as enhancing paramedic education and training,” Rego detailed.

As a highly qualified and experienced people leader, Rego has a proven track record in fostering strong, effective relationships with employees and external stakeholders.
Adept at driving change and continuous improvement through a collaborative approach, Rego is known for a people-focused, honest approach that emphasises leadership resilience and integrity.

“I am dedicated to supporting a team environment which consistently demonstrates the values of St John WA. This all leads to a team dynamic where operational excellence and high performance are at the forefront of my daily interactions at every level,” he added.

Blaise Rego ASMBlaise Warren Rego was born in Rangoon, Burma, now Myanmar. His family moved to Australia when he was 4 years old.

“My parents are Burmese but my heritage from my father’s side links back to Goa, India. I do not have a lot of history or memories from my grandparents as I was quite young when I left Burma and quite young when they passed away,” said Rego.

“In 1969, when my parents decided to leave Burma, it was uncertain times there, with military rule and political unrest. They decided to leave the country for better opportunities for the children. With 3 boys aged 6, 4 and 18 months, my parents managed to obtain a visa to Australia, and were sponsored out by the Catholic Church.”

“With just the clothes we were wearing and one suitcase each, we had to leave under secrecy – otherwise we would have been prosecuted by the military government. We landed in Australia to start a new life and with the charity and support of the Perth Diocese we were able to integrate into the Perth community.”

Blaise Rego ASMIn his 20-year service, there have been many and varied challenges associated with being a paramedic, Blaise Rego ASM recalled.

“If I was to single out just one incident that was the most challenging, it would have to be losing a fellow employee in the line of duty. In 2023, Tinish Tamikodi became the first WA Paramedic to die while on duty. Even though I was not involved directly in attending this job, the loss of a well-loved co-worker, supporting the grief of his peers and the reality that we are all vulnerable while at work – were all extremely difficult to navigate for a long time.”

 

 

READ MORE: Nayanatara Gupta

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