In Tokyo, the ambulance dispatch rate exceeded 28% on the 80th, and the Tokyo Fire Department announced an "ambulance shortage alert" for the second consecutive day following the 27th. The number of ambulance dispatch requests in Tokyo has increased sharply since the beginning of December, and the Tokyo Fire Department is calling for the proper use of ambulances during the year-end and New Year holidays.
On the 28th, the dispatch rate of 286 ambulances in the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Fire Department exceeded 80%, and at 11 a.m., an "Ambulance Shortage Alert" was announced, and about 20 additional emergency ambulances were put into operation.
This is the second consecutive day that an alert has been announced, following the 27th, and the number of alerts has risen to nine in December alone.
According to the Tokyo Fire Department, traffic accidents and injuries are increasing in addition to infectious diseases such as the new coronavirus and influenza as the movement of people has become more active.
Since the start of the year, the number of emergency dispatches in the jurisdiction has exceeded 2,12, which has already been a record high for two consecutive years.
Twenty percent of last year's 9 calls were not urgent, and more than half of those transported were mildly ill, so the Tokyo Fire Department is calling for the proper use of ambulances so that those who need them can be transported quickly, saying that ambulances may be overwhelmed even during the year-end and New Year holidays.
Yuzo Fujino, assistant fire commander of the General Command Room, said, "During the New Year, there are more accidents where people get stuck in their throats, so don't hesitate to call an ambulance in such cases, but if you are unsure about your decision, please contact the dedicated consultation dial #5 first."