Emergency

I needed to make an emergency call for an ambulance last week. You see, my granny fell twice in a week! The first time she slipped, she could still pick herself up and balance. We took her to the doc twice and x-rays said good. A few days after, still aching from the previous fall, she lunged forward tripping over my grandpa who was in the way and landed on top of him. Weak, she managed to turn herself over and was prostrate from the fall.

*ring ring*

Me: Hello
Sis: Ei, granny fell again. Can't move. What's the ambulance number?
Me: Err, 911?
Sis: Dumbass! That's for overseas!
Me: I don't know. 999?
Sis: Dumb dumb! That's the police!
Me: Err, try 103?
Sis: Stoopid! That's operator!
Me: Yeah lah! Call the operator to ask lah.

*click*

Damn! I just realised I didn't know ANY of the emergency numbers. I started calling friends to ask and guess what? Everybody started guessing but nobody knew the exact number to call. Shame on you, people (including myself). Well, I then googled for the nearest government hospital and arranged for an ambulance.

4 hours and 2 head-to-toe x-rays later, it miraculously spelt no fractures and no clots but probably strained a vein or two. Strong backbone, doc commented. Granny is currently recuperating (slowly) at home but she was given a clean bill of health.

Peeps, 911 is embedded in our subconscious mind already but it's actually 994 999 in Malaysia. And if you're wondering about dialling an emergency number with your mobile, it's 112. Oh and by the way, there's a charge for ambulance service (usually out sourced by hospitals) which means it's a private service, which cost between RM150 - RM180 to and fro. It's free only in cases of natural disasters. How silly is that?

Update: I called 994 this morning and vincent is right. It's the number to the fire brigade (bomba). 999 links you to the police, bomba and the ambulance. If you need an ambulance, you will then be asked if you want the private or government ambulance. If goverment hospitals do not have an ambulance on stand-by, one will have to resort to using the private service. Funny, when my mum called 999 that day, there was no response. Hence, the private ambulance service.



9 flowers for this post
now i no, now i no ...994. I would've tried the traditional 999!

Jope your grandma recovers fast. Give her lots of pipinghot milo and love. I hesitate on sendin' Haridas' tehtarik.

Thanks for educating I.Cowws like me that SOS is at 112 via HP..., is that why you posted up at 11.12, eh?
ylchong | Homepage | 15.01.06 - 3:55 pm | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh dear. Hope your grandma's feeling better. My grandma fell too cos a dog lunged at her during her morning walk. Was a couple of weeks before the pain in her back subsided. 994, eh? Hmm... will keep that in mind. Thanks
raven | 15.01.06 - 9:27 pm | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope granny is feeling better. And hope there's no big bad wolf to disturb! I didn't know there was a charge for the ambulance. Even from the government hospitals? What about the poor who can't afford to pay?
Imran | Homepage | 15.01.06 - 9:42 pm | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hei Desi, that was observant of you. 11.12am and 112. Hmmm, coincidence. *rubs chin* Less tehtarik for me this year. Colouring, the papers wrote. Now I go for Horlik tarik. It's milky and white. No colouring. Heh!

Your dog bully grandma ah, raven? Well, I sure hope granny recovers in a couple of weeks. The CNY is not too far away...

Apparently yes in my case, Imran. Perhaps they charge for mere transportation (to and fro hosp)? If in the case of absolute emergency, maybe it's free? *shrug* Granny didn't have to pay a single cent for treatment or x-rays though.
Primrose | Homepage | 15.01.06 - 11:50 pm | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope your granny recover soon..
Ambulance are also chargeable here.
Mama BoK | Homepage | 16.01.06 - 2:41 am | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wish her best of health......old lady must be in pain but is she ok now ? DO spend more time and take care of her, primrose
foodcrazee | 16.01.06 - 11:38 am | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn't it 999 for police and ambulance, and 994 for bomba??
vincent | Homepage | 17.01.06 - 12:35 am | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mama Bok and foodcrazee: Thanks. Yes, am trying to help as much as I could.

vincent: Hmm, now I doubt myself. Have you tried calling those numbers?
Primrose | Homepage | 17.01.06 - 1:23 am | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As of this reading, I myself dont know what's our emergency numbers here in our province. BUT we do have the contact numbers of some hospitals here. :P

Hope your grandma will recuperate the soonest.
arGlene | 18.01.06 - 12:01 pm | #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------