Lithuanian Red Cross President visits its representative office in Mexico

Every time I travel to another country, I try to visit the Red Cross there. It is very important for me to meet my colleagues and get a better understanding of their lives, the challenges and needs of their communities, and to tell them about the Lithuanian Red Cross. This kind of cooperation and sharing of experiences helps to gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of humanitarian organisations in different parts of the world.

This time I had the opportunity to meet with the Mexican Red Cross Cruz Roja Mexicana I.A.P. team, President el Lic. Carlos Freaner and the Secretary General Jose Antonio Monroy Zermeño. This National Society has made a lasting impression in terms of the scope of its activities, its organisation and the benefits it brings to society.

One of the largest humanitarian organisations
The Mexican Red Cross is one of the largest humanitarian organisations in the country, with more than 18,000 employees and more than 500 branches nationwide. One of the unique aspects is that the Red Cross has a 24-hour operations centre that monitors the climatological situation and seismological actions. Mexico is in an active seismological zone. From the onset of a climatological disaster, colleagues can react within 15 minutes and provide assistance to communities.

They have their own ambulance
The Mexican Red Cross has its own hospitals, ambulances and motorbikes for paramedics to respond quickly to disasters (maybe in Lithuania we could have motorbikes as well as ambulances, at least in summer). I was particularly impressed by the fact that in Mexico City, paramedics can reach a person in need of help in just 15 minutes on motorbikes. This is much faster than ambulances, which usually take 45-55 minutes to reach the scene. Such mobile and efficient services are undoubtedly saving lives.

In addition, the Mexican Red Cross trains more than 2,000 nurses each year, with a smaller number of firefighters and other first aiders. They also provide training to various businesses and communities, building the population’s capacity to provide first aid in emergencies. A very important part of their work is their strong youth programme, which encourages young people to get involved in humanitarian initiatives and become active volunteers.

Rescuing in natural disasters
The Mexican Red Cross is a first responder and provider of assistance in natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. In addition to caring for the Mexican population, they are also an important international partner – the Society provided significant support to the Turkish Red Crescent Society after the recent earthquakes.

This meeting was extremely valuable and enriching. It is an inspiring experience that has definitely broadened my perspective on Red Cross activities in a global context.