Upgrades at three municipal Cruz Verde (Green Cross) facilities in the metropolitan area will offer thousands of citizens improved access to low-cost emergency medical services.
The “Dr. Francisco Ruiz Sánchez” Green Cross unit in the eastern Sector Libertad zone of the city recently underwent renovations to the tune of almost $US1 million.
Thanks to the upgrade and new equipment (including a tomography machine), the unit will be able to attend around 145,000 medical emergencies a year, and carry out 3,800 surgeries, Mayor Enrique Alfaro said.
Renovations have also concluded at two other facilities: the “Mario Rivas Souza” clinic on Periférico Norte and the “Ignacio Allende” medical unit in Colonia Hermosa Provincia. New investment in both facilities totalled around 19 million pesos.
Guadalajara has five Green Cross facilities, Zapopan three and Tlaquepaque and Tonala one each. Construction of a second unit has just started in Tonala’s Colonia Pajaritos, that will benefit 35,000 local residents, as well as others in parts of Tlaquepaque and Zapotlanejo.
Costs at Green Cross clinics are kept to a minimum. For example, at the Las Aguilas facility in Zapopan, a simple x-ray costs 140 pesos, and a consultation with a doctor 80 pesos.
One of the aims of the upgrades in Guadalajara, Alfaro said, is at a future date be able to incorporate municipal Green Cross services into the universal Seguro Popular health coverage program.
The Green Cross service is available to all residents of Mexico, including foreigners.