Mijas endorses La Cala Lions message in a bottle

La Cala Lions Club, in collaboration with the Mijas Foreigners Department, unveiled its groundbreaking and life-saving initiative at the La Cala deputy mayor’s office aimed at saving lives in emergencies. 

Spearheaded by Lion Anne Bowles, the ‘Message in a Bottle’ programme provides a simple yet effective way to ensure critical medical information is readily available to emergency services.

The initiative, already used by five million people in the UK, encourages residents, particularly those living alone or facing language barriers, to store vital medical details in a sealed bottle kept in their refrigerator. The form inside includes information such as medical conditions, allergies, or treatments for conditions like diabetes or heart disease. “This is about helping people who may struggle to communicate during an emergency,” explained Luis Dominguez, former international director of the Lions Club Spain. “Emergency services, firefighters, police, or medics can quickly access this information to act faster and more effectively.”

The system is straightforward: residents fill out a medical history form, place it in a hermetically sealed bottle, and store it in their fridge, where it is easily accessible. A sticker on the fridge door and another on the home’s entrance alert emergency responders to the bottle’s presence. “Everyone has a fridge, so it’s a universal location,” Dominguez said, addressing why the refrigerator was chosen.

Mario Bravo, councillor for the Mijas Foreigners Department, praised the initiative for providing peace of mind, especially for non-Spanish-speaking residents or those living alone. “This measure changes everything, and we’re proud to support the La Cala Lions in bringing it to Mijas,” he said during the press conference.

Fernando Juanes and Maria Ysabel Pacheco from the Lions Club Madrid and Alicante, respectively, were also at the meeting and were so taken by the ingenuity of the project, they have decided to take the little bottles and spread the campaign around Spain.

The La Cala Lions are offering these emergency kits free of charge and encourage residents to participate. Bottles can be obtained at any of the three Lions Club charity shops in La Cala or by contacting the club at 607 879 450.

For more information or to request a bottle, contact the La Cala Lions Club or visit their shops. This simple step could make all the difference in an emergency.