More than half of the calls to emergency hotline 112 last year were a hoax or invalid, with just above 20% of the calls were genuine emergencies, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said.
The 112 line connects to all emergency services, including ambulance, police, civil protection, and armed forces. The line is available everywhere in the EU and the call is free of charge.
On Tuesday, Camilleri said the free emergency line received 408,000 calls last year, with just over 90,000 of them being genuine emergencies. That means that out of every 100 calls, only 22 were genuine.
The minister urged the public to only use the hotline when they genuinely need help. He pointed out how compared to the figures in 2023, there was little change in the number of genuine emergency calls received.
And while the figures may seem high, the minister, for another year, said the number of invalid calls to the emergency hotline has decreased when compared to previous years.
He pointed out how the percentage of prank or invalid calls decreased from 57% in 2023 to 50% in 2024.
This is not the first time the government has pleaded with the public to use 112 responsibly.
In 2021, more than three in every four calls to the emergency line were invalid or hoaxes. In 2022, over 290,000 calls were made, with 70% of them being invalid.
The minister was speaking during an event at the Bormla Primary School to mark European 112 Day.
Primary school children had the opportunity to speak to emergency responders to understand the day-to-day roles of the police, nurses and AFM soldiers.
Camilleri was joined by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela.
He said 79% of calls were for paramedics and ambulances. Another 12% were handled by the Civil Protection Department, and nine per cent were forwarded to the police.
The Armed Forces of Malta received 216 calls.
On his part, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela said the majority of 112 calls were for ambulance services, but not all were necessary. He highlighted the importance of educating children on when and how to use the emergency number responsibly.
He also announced that the ministry is in the final stages of launching an awareness campaign on this issue in the coming weeks.
The minister concluded by thanking all professionals working in the emergency sector and encouraged children to consider a future career in these professions.
School children from Bormla Primary School had the opportunity to practice CPR with emergency responders. Photo: DOI