Japanese Man Dies After Dispatcher Dismisses Emergency Call as Non-Urgent Case

In Shizuoka Prefecture, a man in his 50s died after an emergency dispatcher failed to treat an initial 119 call as urgent.

First Call Described Immobility and Pain

According to Sankei, the incident took place on October 15, 2024, when the mother of the man called the Chutoen Fire Command Center in Iwata City, reporting that her son had been unable to move for about two days and was complaining of leg pain.

Building where Chutoen Fire Command Center is located. Photo courtesy of Sankei

The call was made around 5:25 p.m., and while the mother provided clear signs of distress, the dispatcher did not ask for further details about his condition.

Dispatcher Did Not Ask Follow-Up Questions

Instead of treating the call as a potential emergency, the dispatcher assumed it was not urgent and made no effort to clarify or gather more information about the man’s symptoms.

Dispatcher Recommends Taxi Over Ambulance

To make matters worse, the dispatcher suggested using a care taxi (a non-emergency transport service typically used by elderly or disabled individuals) instead of sending an ambulance.

Photo for illustration purposes only. Courtesy of japan-taxi-tours

They also took into account the family’s request for no sirens and transport to a specific hospital, which may have further influenced the decision not to act urgently.

Second Call Came Hours Later

Approximately five and a half hours later, the man’s mother called emergency services again, this time reporting that her son’s condition had severely deteriorated and he could barely move.

Photo for illustration purposes only. Via Canva

This time, the dispatcher recognised the situation as a medical emergency involving abdominal pain, and an ambulance was finally dispatched.

Rushed to the Hospital, Unfortunately, Passes Away

When paramedics arrived, the man was found to be in cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital, but doctors later confirmed that he had already passed away.

Dispatcher Admits to Preconceived Assumptions

According to reports, the dispatcher admitted to having a “preconceived idea that it wasn’t an emergency” and acknowledged they “should have asked for more detailed information about the patient’s condition.”

The report also stated that failing to confirm the man’s condition properly was a significant oversight.