The untold costs of supposedly “free” healthcare included some ridiculous “emergencies” only exacerbating bogged down first responders.
“Could I have swallowed my false teeth?”
Despite clear records of failure, with the help of corporate media, then-President Barack Obama advanced the false narrative that if you like your doctor you can keep them as his administration steered the United States in the direction of socialized medicine.
While promises to undo the Affordable Care Act “root and branch” remained unfulfilled, the Welsh Ambulance Service released some of the most “inappropriate calls” received by dispatchers that could portend the dark comedy heading to America if a similar trajectory is followed.
Chronicling the 414,149 calls received in 2023, the Welsh Ambulance Service detailed that 68,416 were non-emergencies, averaging nearly 200 per day. With complaints of chili rubbed in an eye, a ring stuck on a finger and a family member having lost their voice, officials from the agency lamented the lack of discernment from their countrymen dialing the 911 equivalent.
“Inappropriate calls put additional strain on an already over-stretched service and may delay help for others,” said executive director of paramedicine Andy Swinburn. “Our highly skilled paramedics and technicians are trained to help those whose life is in imminent danger.”
“That’s people in cardiac arrest, people with chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, severe allergic reactions, catastrophic bleeding or someone who is having a stroke,” he continued. “People who’ve had a cough for a couple of days have a legitimate clinical need, but it’s ill-judged to call 999 when there are so many other ways to access help.”
“Our plea to the public is to apply your common sense — most people know the difference between a real emergency and something that is uncomfortable, painful or irritating but not life-threatening,” said Swinburn.
Published examples of inappropriate calls included a partial transcript of one individual concerned about their missing dentures. “I have a bottom part denture, and I went to clean my teeth and I said, ‘Where’s my false teeth?’ This sounds crazy…but I don’t know what else to do. Could I have swallowed my false teeth?”
“So, you don’t know where your false teeth are?” the operator reiterated.
In another example, someone complained, “Yesterday evening, we had some kebab, and I might have had a little bit more than I’m used to, then this morning, I’ve had a very painful stomach.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s an emergency,” described one caller, “but I don’t know how to get down to hospital. I have a piercing in my ear, and it’s pretty much been ripped out and the ball’s stuck in my ear.”
Another call, which prompted the operator to redirect the individual, came with a bit of a reality check on the overwhelmed system that disassociated healthcare costs from the individual to the government through taxation.
“I’ve had a cough for the last couple of days,” reported the individual.
“What’s that sorry, you’ve got a cough?” asked the operator earning a “Yeah” in response.
“We are currently experiencing a large number of life-threatening emergencies. An ambulance is not available to respond to you,” the operator bluntly explained. “Our advice is to ring 111.”
That message was similarly echoed by Lee Brooks, the executive director of operations who said, “We’re here to help people in their hour of need, but we also need the public to take some ownership and accountability for their health and wellbeing at a time when NHS services are stretched beyond measure.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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