Emergency service to Guad

Saw this posted over on Jocotopeckers group, and found it very interesting.
Haven't seen it on any other boards.
I will post the link below, but am wondering what people think about this type of service.
One of my concerns about moving down would be how to get real advanced emergency care and to Guad in that all important Golden Hour.
Thoughts and comments very much appreciated.

http://groups.google.com/group/jocotepeckers/browse_thread/thread/8931b1658b10ad99

I've talked to the person who is trying to put this life support ambulance service together and I think it's a great idea. I know a few people who had heart attacks and didn't make it to Guad. on time due to lack of adequate life support on the ambulance.

Her idea is to start with one in the west end and also have one stationed in the east end. Subscribers would prepay and have their home location put in the ambulance GPS system so they can get to you very fast. They would also come to get you in an accident in any lakeside area - auto accident or other type where you would call them and need to give directions.

Staff would be bilingual. I hope it comes to fruition.

I think this would be a wonderful service to have available to us here. Sign me up for sure!!!

The Red Cross will come to an emergency,out of Chapala, but it can take a while for them to arrive, and can be hard to find you. I don't know if they would go to Joco, but I was with a friend in La Cristina, west of Ajijic, when she had a stroke, and Red Cross came....however, the phone was out, she has no neighbors close by, so my other friend had to run up to the highway and flag down police, who called the Red Cross for us. Fortunately, it was not a heart attack, but still, it took way too much time.

With this program, the person organizing it wants all prepaid subscribers to be in the ambulance GPS system so the ambulance can get to you fast. I believe they will also use the fastest route to the nearest hospital. Unless you are IMSS and then you will be taken to an IMSS hospital. They cannot guarantee you that IMSS will take you in, however. I'll post additional information as this develops.

Oh I forgot to add, the program that is being put together now will definitely go to Jocotopec for subscribers. The idea is to have one ambulance posted in the west end of the lake and the other in the east end.

This is a great idea, especially the GPS part. If my friend had had breathing difficulties, she would have died. It was maybe one hour before Red Cross found her. The police came as soon as my friend flagged them down, as he rode back to the house with them. But, they were not first responders. My friend then ran back out to the main road to wait for the Red Cross so he could flag them down. I was there that day to talk with her about buying her house. This event caused me to not want to live on the west side....which I would reconsider if there was a better system in place for emergency response.

I'll ask my friend how the ambulance project is doing. They are supposed to be fully equiped with life support systems and bilingual staff. Although the idea is to have your home programed into GPS they would also come and get you in a car accident or any other lakeside area where you need and ambulance - heart attack in a restaurant, hit by a car, etc. etc. I live in San Juan Cosala and I know I can make it to a good hospital faster from here by going through Jocotopec. I have lived in Guadalajara, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jocotopec and San Juan Cosala over 11 years. Less traffic out this way and much easier to get into Guadalajara.

I recently had two separate hospital visits and my driver went the Chapala-Jocotopec route the first time and the Jocotopec route the second time. We saved 1/2 hour on the Jocotopec route. We could have been to Puerto Hierro Sur (brand new hospital) in 40 minutes but I was going to another hospital in town.

That sounds good to me....I do like the west end...less traffic, more mellow. I like Joco as well. I looked at Roco Azul, but that's a little too distant for me. I have never taken the highway to Guad out of Joco. Thanks for the tip. I wonder if it is a safer highway as well.

1. This had been tried before and failed.
2. There is a Cruz Roja ambulance in west Ajijijc.
3. Good luck.

David wrote:1. This had been tried before and failed.
2. There is a Cruz Roja ambulance in west Ajijijc.
3. Good luck.

Not my project, but I do hope it works. And yes I know it's been tried before - lots of pit falls in that attempt.

I like the drive through Jocotopec much better than the other way. When you get to Jocotopec you make a left at the first traffic light, go 3 blocks, turn right and go straight. This takes you to a T - left is Mazamitla and right is Guadalajara. You stay on that road until you see the sign to Guadajalara and make a right to get onto it. That is Lopez Mateos and takes you straight in. Coming home you have to look for the exit to go to Jocotopec but it says Juiquilpan and Mazamitla - exit to the right and curve left and this puts you on the road straitht to Joco. When you get to Joco it will be a left turn into town - don't go straight to Mazamitla.

Wonderful service. Good luck.

I understand the ambulance program fell through for a number of reasons. I also talked to some doctors who come to the Medico Especialstas clinic in West Ajijic. They hope to do the same. Have an ambulance stationed there which would pick up residents in critical condition, stabilize them at the clinic and then into Guadalajara for proper treatment as fast as possible. I think it's a matter of money, and the actual doctors talking about this have a lot of patients.