Cuco, the friendly dog promoting blood donation in Mexico

Cuco

does not have an employee number but he has become the star staff member of the IMSS North Delegation; when he barks, he does not only scare thieves away but he also invites Mexicans to donate blood altruistically.

“I cannot donate blood , but you can,” reads a banner in front of the black dog who wears an ID on his neck that accredits him as an honorary IMSS member, along with a green vest with the institute’s logo.

“Cuco is an unregistered Social Security Member who is available 24 hours a day; he helps police officers take care of the facilities; three people tried to enter to commit crimes, but Cuco stopped them. Thanks to his friendliness, we decided to let him help us promote blood donation, and since many kids wanted to do so but couldn’t they asked their parents to donate for them,” said Josè Genaro Olguìn Avilés, the head of Administration Services of the IMSS North Delegation.

Cuco, the friendly dog promoting blood donation in Mexico

In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, José Antonio Zamudio González, head of the Mexico City delegation, said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic , altruistic donations have been reduced because people were scared of getting near a hospital unit and contract the virus, hence the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS) started the Itinerant Blood Donations strategy.

Recommended: 

On July 26, the first campaign took place at the IMSS central premises in Reforma; the main objective was to reinforce blood donation campaigns to maintain blood reserves.

The itinerant campaign arrived at the North Delegation on August 11 and 12. In order to obtain donations , Zamudio González decided to use Cuco’s friendliness with people and thus he became the strategy’s promoter.

“The objective is to reach potential donors with the established security standards… temperature checks and clinical assessment to detect the beginning of any disease,” said Gamaliel Benítez Arvizu, director of the Siglo XXI National Medical Center Blood Bank.

Cuco, the friendly dog promoting blood donation in Mexico

The prints

Cuco

became part of the IMSS family two years ago; his first home in Mexico City was the General Regional Hospital 25 located in Iztapalapa. He did not arrive by himself; he came all the way from Comitán, Chiapas with a migrant caravan. When his travel “companions” moved on, he wandered into Clinic 25.

Cuco became the delegation’s pet. He walks with confidence throughout the facilities, stops for his co-workers to pet him or give him treats. Without earning a living, he has become a symbol and his new mission is to promote blood donations .

“When COVID-19 started, a lot of people were reluctant to donate blood, not because they didn’t want to but because they were afraid of getting infected by entering a hospital, but Cuco helped debunk that myth and we hope the institute will keep promoting donation.

Cuco, the friendly dog promoting blood donation in Mexico

“The itinerant campaign was here; we got 101 donations; that is unprecedented and it was thanks to Cuco; everyone loves him; while parents donated blood, children were able to pet him,” said the official.

mp