Kalu;We are all partners in crime fighting

By John Okiyi Kalu

It is good the police force no longer require hospitals and clinics to obtain permission before treating patients with bullet wounds. We can't afford to lose an innocent victim because we want to catch armed robbers and other hooligans.

Yet it beats me why a medical doctor or owner of a medical facility, including traditional herbal clinics, will unnecessarily delay or totally fail to inform the police after stabilizing patients with bullet wounds. Do they realize the harm such actions and/or inactions cause to themselves and the general public?

Ideally, even while treating the patient, another staff should get on the phone and call the nearest police station to inform them to come and make sure that the patient does not escape during or after the initial stabilization treatment. Medical facilities are expected to keep the phone details of the nearest police formation to their location.

Failure to give that legally required information to the police in a timely manner or even totally failing to give the information amounts to criminal conspiracy for which the owner/staff of the medical facility should be tried for criminal conspiracy.

If it turns out that the patient is a criminal and he escapes to return to the general population you or people close to you might even be the next victims of the same patient you helped to escape from the law.

Another ugly trend I have observed is folks calling emergency numbers when they don't have any emergency to report. Not only is that an offense that should send you to jail, it also endangers the lives and properties of others who might genuinely need to get access to emergency services.

Since Abia State Government commenced testing of the toll free 112 emergency platform established by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in partnership with NCC, a lot of the calls received have been cat calls or even calls by children playing with their parents phones.

Imagine an adult male calling an emergency line (112) and when asked the emergency responds with "I like your voice and want to kiss you". Are you insane? Don't you know that when you occupy the line and call taker another person with a real emergency might not be able to reach the platform? Oke Mkpi like you.

In dealing with emergency situations seconds count and the objective of emergency response systems is to reach the person in distress within 5 minutes, no matter where located in the state.

Abia State emergency call platform and response system covers every inch of Abia soil and you don't need credit on your phone to make an emergency call.

For goodness sake you don't call an emergency line to "test if the line is working". It is very wrong and when you make such mistakes you should immediately apologize to the call taker and drop off without further ado.

It is important to note that integrated emergency call facilities, such as the one established by Governor Ikpeazu to operate within Abia territory, are equipped to record the location of the caller and details of the conversation with the call Centre staff. Once the facility is launched and opened to the public you will likely be arrested by security agents for making cat calls. It is an offense that can send you to jail or cost you huge money, especially in a state we are interested in improving our IGR collection.

One cat call might end you in jail or with very heavy fine.

Be aware of the fact that each time the resources of the state is deployed to respond to an emergency there are real costs attached. Ambulances are fueled and manned by paid staff, same with fire trucks and security vehicles. Those vehicles and resources are not even enough to optimally cover the whole state at this time, but will incrementally be improved as our revenue base improves or support arrives from organized private sector in the state. Deploying limited resources to meet a false emergency will naturally mean denying others the use of the resources.

When you call an emergency line please go straight to the point: your name, where you are calling from including the nearest bus stop and/or landmarks and then state the nature of the emergency. After that drop the call. If required, the call center staff or emergency responders will call you back themselves.

You don't have to speak English to report an emergency. Igbo language is even the preferred language in reporting emergencies in Abia state because we don't want you to make mistakes.

Please always make way for ambulances, fire trucks and police vehicles with sirens. They just might be rushing to save the life of someone dear to you.

All over the world, Security is a collective duty of the state and citizens. You should report crimes, emergencies and suspicious persons to the authorities. Help the state to help you get rid of criminals and save lives/properties rather than complain after the act.

Happy weekend.

John Okiyi Kalu writes from Umuahia