An immediate inquiry has been launched by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to scrutinize the response protocols of emergency hotline 911 following the death of a senior citizen in Taguig.
The decision stems from a public post detailing a son’s effort to request swift medical intervention for his ailing father. Alongside the tragedy of the patient passing away, the complaint brought to light potential deficiencies in the medical apparatus fitted inside the dispatched unit.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla cited an early assessment submitted by DILG Emergency Call 911 Director Francis Fajardo, noting that the distress call concerning a 71-year-old individual came through at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday.
”Based on the report, 911 received the call at 12:15 PM involving a 71-year-old patient in Maharlika Village, Taguig who reportedly suffered a mild stroke and needed urgent ambulance assistance. The call was relayed to the Taguig Command Center at around 12:17 PM, which acknowledged the emergency and committed to dispatch an ambulance,” Remulla said.
Despite the rapid initial handoff to local authorities, significant gaps in operational reporting persisted throughout the afternoon.
”However, despite follow-ups at 4:57 PM and 5:56 PM, there was still no confirmation whether the ambulance was actually dispatched or had arrived,” he said.
Remulla pointed out that internal operational breakdowns during shift transitions likely compromised the monitoring and follow-through of the dispatch after it reached the municipal command level.
”There also appears to have been an issue with the shift handover and endorsement of the case,” Remulla said.
Prior to these findings, the department acknowledged it was looking into separate claims that the initial emergency operator took nearly ten minutes to answer the call.