The Cruz Roja’s Ajijic substation that has been remodeled to accommodate a small-scale emergency medical facility will hold a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, September 24, 4 p.m.
Following the ribbon cutting, the public will be invited to tour and inspect the facility that is located next to Restaurant Doña Lola on the Ajijic-Jocotepec Carretera in West Ajijic.
The location will continue to offer 24-hour ambulance service and, initially, provide emergency walk-in care from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
Staff will include a doctor, nurse and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). They will be available for EKG, examinations, blood pressure checks, diabetic testing, consultations, suturing and a broad range of triage activities. X-rays will not be offered.
“We have chosen to operate on a limited basis in order to maintain control of operating expenses,” said Norm Pifer, vice president of the Cruz Roja’s board of directors. “But continued financial support will allow us to expand to a full 24 hours.”
Both the Mexican and foreign communities have been involved in getting the clinic up and running. Funding has come from the state tourism trust fund, known as the Fideicomiso de los Municipios del Interior del Estado de Jalisco. The fund is financed by the hospitality surtax collected by local hotels to fund tourism-related projects.
In addition, the Mexican medical and dental communities have chipped in with generous donations to pay for the rehabilitation of the building, while the Jalisco Cruz Roja funded much of the medical equipment. The local volunteer group and individual residents, consisting of mostly foreigners, stepped forward with supplemental funds to take care of many expenses not otherwise covered.
Oscar España, president of the Cruz Roja board of directors, said that the facility will further improve emergency service in the western coverage area, as ambulance patients may now be delivered to the Ajijic clinic, rather than Chapala, depending on the severity of their condition.
“When every minute counts, we want to be nearby and available to all,” Pifer said.
Cruz Roja does not receive financial support from the Mexican government and operates entirely on private donations.