Health Ministry helpline inundated with nuisance calls

BANGKOK: -- A telephone helpline set up by the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that the sick and injured get prompt access to medical assistance is being widely abused by nuisance callers, the head of the ministry’s Narenthorn emergency assistance centre revealed today.

Dr. Somchai Kanchanasut said that the 24-hour helpline, which aims to ensure that accident victims are seen to by medics within 10 minutes of a call being made, was being inundated by calls from children and young people making false claims, and in some cases sexually harassing the female telephone operators.

On 12 April the helpline received 267 nuisance calls, a number that rose to 302 the next day.

Noting that the nuisance calls were preventing genuine emergencies from being dealt with promptly, Dr. Somchai warned that the telephone numbers of the nuisance calls were being recorded and that legal action would be taken.

The Health Ministry is trumpeting the helpline and other emergency services as a huge success, with emergency teams responding to 1,791 cases over the period 8-13 April, 684 more cases than the same period last year.

--TNA 2005-04-14

Health Ministry helpline inundated with nuisance calls 

BANGKOK: -- A telephone helpline set up by the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that the sick and injured get prompt access to medical assistance is being widely abused by nuisance callers, the head of the ministry’s Narenthorn emergency assistance centre revealed today.

Dr. Somchai Kanchanasut said that the 24-hour helpline, which aims to ensure that accident victims are seen to by medics within 10 minutes of a call being made, was being inundated by calls from children and young people making false claims, and in some cases sexually harassing the female telephone operators.

On 12 April the helpline received 267 nuisance calls, a number that rose to 302 the next day.

Noting that the nuisance calls were preventing genuine emergencies from being dealt with promptly, Dr. Somchai warned that the telephone numbers of the nuisance calls were being recorded and that legal action would be taken.

The Health Ministry is trumpeting the helpline and other emergency services as a huge success, with emergency teams responding to 1,791 cases over the period 8-13 April, 684 more cases than the same period last year.

--TNA 2005-04-14

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I told you, Scamp, that wasn't the number for the bar!