Taipei: A 70-year-old man was fined NT$1,700, on July 17, for inappropriate use of the ambulance service, according to the Fire Department of the Kaohsiung City Government (FDKC).The Kaohsiung City Ambulance Payment Policy took effect on July 1 as part of an effort to eliminate abuse of government medical resources.
Under the policy, those who call for an ambulance without cause face fines of up to NT$1,700.The FDKC noted that this was the first case of an ambulance caller being fined since the promulgation of the act.According to the fire department, the elderly man was reported as feeling weak in Kaohsiung by his family members on July 2.
Emergency medical personnel concluded that the man was in no need of emergency assistance and could have received necessary medical care at nearby E-DA Hospital. |
