Over 1,000 Ambulance Calls Logged In Just Five Days
Malta’s emergency services responded to more than 1,000 ambulance calls in just five days, with over 200 incidents per day reported across the islands, according to emergency doctor Michael Spiteri.
Speaking to TVM, Dr Spiteri said the increase had been expected as the summer heat peaked, with many of the calls linked to medical issues, prolonged sun exposure, and alcohol-related incidents.
“Half of the 1,000 calls for assistance included persons with serious problems and 10% of them patients who were in a critical situation in which, within a few minutes, they can literally make a difference between life and death,” he said.
He also issued a strong appeal for people to stay away from accident scenes, warning that crowds and onlookers were disrupting rescue operations stating that certain footage of accidents uploaded to social media can cause great psychological damaged to relatives and patients.
Emergency teams have also had to navigate around people who were standing too close to accident scenes, delaying response times and creating dangerous conditions for both rescuers and victims.
“Imagine being trapped and needing urgent help but responders are blocked or delayed because someone was filming,” Dr Spiteri said.
He urged the public to let emergency workers do their jobs, avoid speculation online, and prioritise calling for help over creating content.
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