Service at the Jorge Vaitsman Veterinary Hospital more than doubles after renovation

After being renovated and expanded, the Jorge Vaitsman Veterinary Hospital now provides around 200 services per day - Fábio Motta/City of Rio

A month and a half after its reopening, the Jorge Vaitsman Municipal Veterinary Hospital in Mangueira, which underwent improvements and expansion, more than doubled the number of animals treated, reaching 200 per day. The former CJV, reopened on July 5, now offers hospitalizations, surgeries and specialties such as cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology and orthopedics, in addition to serving the public from Monday to Monday, from 8 am to 22 pm.

On August 21, Mayor Eduardo Paes, alongside Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz, visited Jorge Vaitsman Hospital, in Mangueira.

– The Rio City Hall has two high-quality units (in Mangueira and Santa Cruz) and there is certainly nothing like them here in Brazil. And there is another one under construction in Irajá, which should be ready in the next 30 to 60 days, and which should be even more modern. This service is very concerned with the health of animals. We put an end to the old days of petting zoos, back in my first term, and we started to look at animals with this attention, this care, and we will increasingly expand this service network in this partnership between the Health Department and the Animal Defense Department. We will continue to invest and grow in the care provided to animals – said Mayor Eduardo Paes.

Under the responsibility of the Rio Municipal Health Department (SMS), through the Municipal Institute of Health Surveillance (IVISA-Rio), the unit also continues to offer, free of charge to guardians, the already known services of castration, microchipping for the General Animal Registry (RGA) in the SISBICHO system, vaccination against rabies and diagnosis and treatment of zoonoses, which are diseases transmitted between animals and humans.

According to the president of IVISA-Rio, Aline Borges, she highlighted that Jorge Vaitsman continues to be a reference in the treatment of dogs and cats in the city.

– We are a century-old hospital and this modernization has made us even more sought after. But if before people would get up early and wait in line at the door to have their pets treated, today, with all the comfort, patients can arrive throughout the day, as the service is provided from Monday to Monday, until 22 pm. In other words, people can visit the unit throughout the day, at their leisure – said the president of IVISA-Rio.

The good service was praised by Márcio Rangel, a resident of Freguesia, in Jacarepaguá, who traveled to Mangueira for the first time in search of care for his 9-year-old dog Bela. Recently diagnosed with cancer, she was waiting for the first exam to begin treatment.

– We came here because of a recommendation from friends who also traveled far away to get their animals treated. I am really enjoying the service, the cleanliness, and the attention given to Bela. Treatment at a private clinic would be very expensive, but here Bela is receiving all the care she needs in a first-class facility. I am confident that she will recover – said Rangel.

Professor Kátia Chitarrelli, also a resident of Jacarepaguá, praised the structure for treating the dog Dana, who needs surgery for a tumor.

– For us, Jorge Vaitsman Hospital is a bit far away, but it is worth the effort. Other units like this should be opened in the city. What is good should expand – said the teacher.

The new veterinary hospital is located at Avenida Bartolomeu de Gusmão, 1.120, in Mangueira.

History

The veterinary hospital was founded in 1917 as a place to control tuberculosis in dairy cattle and provide care to mules (donkeys) used for public services. The connection between the then State Center for Veterinary Medicine and the Municipal Health Department occurred in August 1975, with the merger of the State of Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro. In 1977, the idea came up to pay tribute to the former head of the Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory, veterinarian Jorge Vaitsman, who later gave his name to the unit.