Senior officers at the Jalisco Red Cross are urging automobile owners paying their annual registrations (refrendos) to say yes to the voluntary donation of 30 pesos destined for the institution.
All motorists paying the car tax are asked whether they would like to make the donation to the emergency health-care organization.
Last year, unfortunately, only 12 percent of Jalisco’s 2.3 million vehicle owners agreed to make the donation. The Cruz Roja obtained just 9.3 million pesos out of a possible 66 million.
The Jalisco Red Cross operates around 125 ambulances in the state, which cost around 50 million pesos a year to maintain. The organization relies almost entirely on private donations and is the primary provider of emergency medical support in the state.
Through all of its fund-raising activities, the Jalisco Cruz Roja obtains an average of 12.50 pesos per capita each year, says Ali Daniel Nuñez, spokesperson for the Jalisco delegation.
The disparity between the generosity of residents in various areas of the state is considerable and not always what one might expect. For example, donations in small, economically challenged municipalities such as Villa Guadalupe and Villa Hidalgo run between 15 and 20 pesos a person, while citizens in metro-area Guadalajara pitch in with a meager 50 centavos.
One reason for this may be that Red Cross facilities in some municipalities often serve as first-call health care facilities rather than the IMSS, Seguro Popular or state-run services. Residents therefore see a greater need to support their local Red Cross. Some municipalities – Chapala being one of the most dynamic – successfully organize programs and activities to raise funds specifically for their own delegations.
Lack of trust in the government – and whether the money will get into the right hands – is often cited as a reason why car owners refuse to add an additional 30 pesos on to their annual tax.
While the Red Cross doesn’t force anyone to pay for its services, patients are always presented with a bill and urged to pay what they can afford, as well as make any further donation they wish to.
The Jalisco Cruz Roja rendered 457,635 separate medical services in 2015 and responded to 40,692 ambulance calls.