Sales calls to emergency hotlines create nuisance

The daily bombardment of emergency hotlines by spam phone calls has prompted telecom management and law enforcement authorities to act in the hope of eradicating the long-standing nuisance.

In April and May, for example, more than 1,600 telemarketing calls were made to the emergency medical service center in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, via the 120 hotline, which is supposed to be reserved for emergencies.

According to official data, more than 90 calls promoting real estate sales come to the center between 9 am and 5 pm on some days, leading managers to report the problem to the police.