When an 11‑year‑old boy in Pomark decided to call for help, the local ambulance dispatcher’s refusal and flippant remark left his mother desperate, while the child’s condition worsened.
Request for Air Ambulance
In early October, Anna Wiktoruk tried to summon an ambulance for her 11‑year‑old son Błażej, but the dispatch centre denied the request, telling her the child could be taken to a nearby health clinic near Kwidzyn.
Unable to drive because Błażej had a body temperature of 33 °C and no medical transport, Anna was told to go alone to the clinic. The ambulance refusal was accompanied by a dismissive reply from the dispatcher, who said the mother would not be taken “for pity.”
After Anna carried the boy to the nearest clinic, a nurse called 112, an ambulance arrived and police were notified. Air Ambulance Rescue Services then transported Błażej to Olsztyn’s Children’s Hospital, where doctors diagnosed suspected septic shock from a ruptured appendix, placing him in a critical state.
Prosecutorial Investigation
Policemen spoke with witnesses and requested recordings from the Gdańsk Regional Emergency Call Centre. The investigation is being carried out by the prosecutor’s office and the regional authority that monitors dispatch centre operations.
According to Krystian Kłos, spokesman for the Pomorskie Provincial Office, investigators are “examining exactly what happened that day and how the emergency number service functioned.”
