Pittsylvania County is experiencing an uptick in 911 calls that aren’t true emergencies, compounding an already stressed health care system reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and exodus of medical professionals.

Pittsylvania County Public Safety is asking residents to seek the “appropriate level of care” when sick or injured.

“It is essential that we reserve the highest level of medical care, both at the hospital and from our county EMS providers, for those that truly need it,” said Chris Slemp, director of Pittsylvania County Public Safety. “We encourage anyone who is experiencing a true medical emergency to call 911, and we will provide the best service to that patient as quickly as we can.”

However, the county’s 911 dispatch center is receiving about 100 more calls a month compared to about two years ago, and “many of these are for people who don’t necessarily need emergency services,” county leaders wrote in a news release…