Taipei City's rat control plan forces frontline workers to hunt rodents, councilor claims

Taipei City Councilor Yan Ruo-fang has strongly criticized the city government's new rat eradication policy, accusing it of unfairly burdening frontline workers and private businesses. The policy, which includes city-wide disinfection and the creation of "rodent detection specialists," reportedly requires various departments to establish rat prevention plans.

Yan alleged that the Department of Health is using performance evaluations as leverage, compelling nursing staff in mental health care facilities to report the number of rats caught. This, she claims, forces these essential workers into becoming rat catchers, creating widespread anxiety. Similar complaints have emerged from construction sites and schools, where workers and teachers are reportedly being asked to report rat captures for unannounced inspections.

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The entire Taipei City has been thrown into a state of panic by the city government!

"The entire Taipei City has been thrown into a state of panic by the city government!" Yan exclaimed. She argued that the administration is shirking its responsibility for the rodent problem by passing it onto citizens. Yan demanded that Mayor Chiang Wan-an immediately halt the policy and called for practical support and resources for rat prevention measures.

In response, Health Bureau Commissioner Huang Jian-hua, Construction Management Office Commissioner Yu Ji-xue, and Education Bureau Commissioner Tang Zhi-min stated that the number of rats caught is not a performance metric, but merely a reporting requirement. Mayor Chiang Wan-an further clarified that the focus is on the actual implementation of pest control measures and maintaining environmental hygiene, not the quantity of rats captured. He pledged to adjust and improve communication regarding the policy.

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The focus is on the actual implementation of pest control measures and maintaining environmental hygiene, not the quantity of rats captured.