An ambulance stands by at an overpass in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, Aug. 22, 2021. Photo: Xinhua

A man from the island of Taiwan has recently been busted for calling an ambulance to pick him up from a supermarket 200 meters from his home. Checking on previous records, it turned out that the man, who lives right next to a local hospital, has been hailing ambulances as free taxis 39 times a year, simply for the reason that he "didn't want to walk home."

According to police in Nantou County of Taiwan, the man surnamed Wang repeatedly pretended to be sick as an excuse to call for an ambulance to send him to the hospital near his home. 

The hospital spotted him when they found out that Wang always left on his own without attending to doctors every time he was sent to the hospital. Overwhelmed by his disturbances, medical staff called the police. However, Wang verbally abused the police and was at last told that if he commits another offense to occupy social resources for own convenience, he will be fined.

In Taiwan, ambulances are free of charge for transporting emergency patients to the nearest hospital or medical facility, according to local authorities.

Global Times