Sunday 8 May 2022 08:44 AM Victoria's most trivial 000 calls wasting ambulance resources trends now
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The lives of emergency patients are at risk because thousands of Australians tie up resources by calling triple-0 for trivial reasons.
Ambulance Victoria shared some of the most ridiculous emergency calls it received to bring attention to the problem.
More than 45,000 calls between October and December last year required no ambulance action and only wasted important time of emergency responders.
Ambulance Victoria officials said 45,000 calls between October and December last year required no ambulance action and only wasted important time of emergency responders
Calls included people trying to find a rapid antigen test or because they had a nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep.
One frightened caller rang while hiding under a tree from a swooping magpie and another was trying to listen to music to calm down during alcohol withdrawal and called because they couldn't work their Spotify playlist.
Emergency operators also heard from a horrified mother who thought her child had developed cyanosis - skin discolouration - only to find the child had been eating blueberries.
One patient called after deliberately pricking themselves with an acupuncture needle to 'test if it was sharp' and another demanded a 'lights and sirens' ambulance after they were almost bitten by
