COVID-19: Ghana Emergency system to block all prank callers after recording over 95% prank calls

The ministry, in a statement issued Thursday, March 26, 2020 said the move had become necessary due to the exponential rise in prank calls that were sent to the centre between January 28 and March 16 this year.

As the country intensifies its effort to reduce the spread of COVID – 19 and to improve Ghana’s emergency response rate, the emergency number 112 has been set up to facilitate assistance to all in need.

Access to this line is however being hampered by the incessant prank calling of some unscrupulous callers. Currently, Prank calls to the emergency number cover more than 95% of the call traffic.

Between 28 th January, 2020 - 16 th March, 2020, the 112 emergency call centre recorded a total of One Million, nine hundred and two thousand, nine hundred and twenty-six calls (1,902,926).

Out of this number 1,887,125 were prank related calls with only 15,801 being real emergency related calls. That meant, 99.16% of cases within that period were prank calls.

Over the period, many Ghanaians have had a reason to complain about their inability to get

through the call centre number. With 99.16% of the calls being prank related, real emergency cases are not getting through for the needed attention.

From 27th March, 2020, all prank callers will be blocked to get Ghana’s emergency system to work effectively. It is the most practical way of ensuring that those in need of help, get it.

"We urge all citizens to support our collective drive to succeed and not to prank 112 as real lives might be in danger, including those who need help to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. We will continue to educate people on the need not to prank."