UAE: Authorities issue emergency numbers warning

Dubai: Fake calls to National Ambulance numbers are on the rise. Of the 44,459 calls received in the first quarter of this year, 40 percent were fraudulent or routine investigations, officials said. 

The warning comes along with an example of some 'funny' calls recently received at the call center. He warned that making calls unnecessarily and jokingly would make the service unavailable to the needy and action would be taken against such people. 

Calls with trivial demands are just as dangerous as fake calls. Many call because they need medicine and do not have the money to call a taxi to get to the hospital. All this is unnecessary. 

The number of emergency calls has doubled. Authorities also cited examples of people calling for trivial matters. At 3 a.m., a woman called 998 and said she was tired. I was relieved to hear your voice and cut off saying I no longer need an ambulance.

Another woman called with the same request. However, when the paramedics called, the phone was put in 'Do Not Disturb' mode. So the group had to return without being called. 

Someone wanted a taxi to take him to the hospital as he had no money to go to the hospital. There are those who call to inform about stray animals. 

One question was where to get the paracetamol pill. There are those who call saying they are not getting paid. Someone demanded that the grocery employee be rushed to the hospital immediately following a cough.

Previous to the Covid period, the centre received an average of 6763 phone calls a month. It rose to 18,537 last year. Ahmed Salah al-Hajri, CEO of National Ambulance, said that time was of the essence for the emergency department and that one could lose one's life in a second and not play with the emergency number.

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