Operator: 995 what is your emergency?
Resident: My WiFi isn’t working
Operator: This is why you called?! Are you dumb? Do you even know what an emergency is?
Resident: Okay, I now have a broken heart. Is that an emergency?
While I have since learned that a bad internet connection is no reason to call the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), many other residents have continued to use the hotline for non-emergencies and false alarms.
Fortunately, ever since COVID-19 emerged, fewer people are making such calls.
SCDF Received Fewer False Alarms & Non-Emergency Calls in the First Half of 2021
The SCDF has received fewer false alarm and non-emergency calls in the first half of this year.
According to statistics released by the force yesterday (12 Sep), the number of false alarm calls – where no patients are found – dropped by 16.4% during this period. 2,674 such calls were received in the first half of 2021, compared to 3,200 in the same period last year.
Non-emergency calls also fell by 15.4% from 4,704 in the first half of 2020 to 3,978 in the first half of 2021. In non-emergency calls, urgent medical assistance is not necessary.
The reason for this statistical anomaly is twofold:
- More people are staying at home due to the pandemic
- More residents are aware of what constitutes an emergency, and when it’s appropriate to call 995
The COVID-19 pandemic has had quite an impact on the number of such calls to the SCDF, as it received a whopping 17,000 non-emergency and false alarm calls back in 2019.
Fewer calls like these allow the SCDF to respond to more emergency and life-threatening situations.
So, What Constitutes an Emergency?
So, what is considered an emergency? A really bad headache? A flurry of pimples? A pet cat with a suspicious expression?
According to gov.sg, emergency ambulance services should only be called to render care to those who need it most critically.
This includes life-threatening cases such as cardiac arrest, active seizures, breathlessness, major traumas, and strokes.
Toothaches, diarrhoea, coughs, and headaches are some examples of non-emergencies.
If you do call 995 with a non-emergency, you will be advised to go to a clinic or to call 1777 for a non-emergency ambulance.
However, this call wastes the SCDF’s time and resources, which could cost lives.
One common misconception is that patients arriving at hospitals in ambulances need not pay for the service. In reality, they will be charged a fee of S$274.
Patients will also not be allowed to choose the hospital of their choice when requesting ambulance services, as the ambulance will bring them to the closest designated hospital to receive immediate medical attention.
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Featured Image: Jordan Tan/ shutterstock.com
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