By Corrections1 Staff
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Several inmates recently released from jail have used ambulances as taxis, police said.
WJHL reports that inmates in Washington County have faked heart attacks or other serious medical conditions and then left hospitals before doctors could see them. EMS Chief Dan Wheeley said each trip costs taxpayers about $600 if the person is uninsured and may also take an ambulance away from someone who actually needs it.
“They don’t have a way back to Johnson City,” Wheeley told WJHL. “They’ll go out to the pay phone, call 911 and complain of chest pain. It’s very frustrating, because a lot of times the patient will walk out of the ER before the crew even gets their cot made and is ready to leave the ER.”
Wheeley said there is no simple solution to the problem, but he hopes lawmakers can figure out how to balance more legal protection for ambulance providers and criminal action for those who abuse the system.