350 “visits” in 2021. Over 50 in hospitals
“Like factory workers: at 5 in the morning, when we open the gate, they cross the pedestrian crossing, after respectfully respecting the green, and enter the hospital”. Patients? Doctors? Nurses? “No, wild boars,” says Giovanni Vrenna, the director of General Affairs of San Pietro Fatebenefratelli, on the Cassia. The raids of ungulates in the Eternal City are hardly news anymore, but for the large public health structures, already struggling with two exhausting years of pandemic, they are becoming a problem. «Here with us they are punctual more than the relatives of the sick: as soon as we open the door, they stand in front of the dentistry department – resumes the director of San Pietro – or pass in front of the emergency room. And of course this becomes dangerous also from a hygienic point of view ». The blitzes of the quadrupeds? “Almost daily”.
COMPLAINTS
In the reports of the Civil Protection of Roma Capitale, only from the beginning of September to last December 31, 50 reports of wild boars are noted around the large hospitals: from San Pietro to the immediate vicinity of San Filippo Neri (not inside, fortunately), to that Gemini is the jewel of private healthcare. In the documents, delivered on a monthly basis to General Fernando Falco, the now former head of the Animal Directorate of the Municipality, torpedoed by Gualtieri on January 1st (he was nominated by Raggi), there are only over 350 “blitz” of wild boars in the course of 2021. Almost one a day. The areas most affected? Monte Mario, the Cassia, the Giustiniana, the Insugherata, semi-central districts such as the Balduina. Expeditions so assiduous that the residents of the most targeted areas do not even notice. They also got tired of posting them on social media.
For hospitals it is different. The theme, it was said, is also and above all one of hygiene. During the Rays years, the Capitol was able to do very little, also because the former mayor has always maintained that the competence was “of the Region”, every time that the raids turned into web catchphrases. Beyond the political coffins, a rough confrontation took place in the palaces of city power: meetings threaten meetings, negotiations, threatening pressures. With the result, however, nothing is done. Roma Natura, the regional body that manages the large parks where wild boars live, has 3 cages for just the animals that border on the reserves. Three, for all of Rome. «In addition to the reports – continues Vrenna del San Pietro – we have also made two complaints. After a rebound between 50 offices, they called us back to ask if the boars were adults or puppies, if they were male or female. One eye. After 3 days they showed up for an inspection, but the ungulates, that day, were not there ».
It is not clear where the passion of the Roman wild boars for hospitals was born. What drives them around the bins is clear: garbage. Translated: food. But outside the wards there are rarely palatable scraps, so to speak. Even the Civil Protection of Rome asked themselves this question, without being able to find a clear answer. Mysteries of the Capital Zoo. Now the practice has passed to Gualtieri, who, unlike Raggi, has a good understanding with Zingaretti, if only for the commonality of the party. During the election campaign, the mayor spoke of a “containment” strategy that also includes hard solutions, such as the “killing” of beasts. Even if they don’t go red at the traffic lights.
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