Faced with the inefficacy of traditional methods, the HIGA resorts to felines as a biological strategy to control the presence of rats in its facilities.
In an unconventional measure for a healthcare center, the Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos (HIGA) of Mar del Plata has integrated cats into its daily environment with the aim of mitigating a persistent rat plague.
The decision, which has surprised patients and workers, arises as a direct response to the difficulties in eradicating rodents through the usual fumigation and pest control channels.
The presence of at least three felines has become a constant in the corridors and common areas of the Dr. Oscar Alende establishment.
Cats adopted in the Hospital to combat rats
According to reports, these animals were adopted and placed under the care of the staff to leverage their natural hunting and deterrence instinct, establishing a perimeter of biological control in areas where the use of chemicals or mechanical traps has not yielded the expected results or presents limitations due to the nature of the medical facility.
This particular environmental management solution seeks to resolve an urban hygiene problem that affected the operability and image of the hospital.
The cats, which now roam freely in various sectors, act as a preventive reinforcement in the fight against the proliferation of rodents, an issue that often intensifies in large building structures with high foot traffic and waste management.
To date, the coexistence with the felines in the Hospital Interzonal de Mar del Plata is developing normally, being pragmatically accepted by the hospital community as a functional alternative to a long-standing public health challenge.
