The official swearing-in ceremony of the first Statutory Bodies of the Order of Physiotherapists took place on 14 December 2021 at the Auditorium of the Order of Certified Accountants in Lisbon.
This ceremony was attended by around 100 guests, including the Deputy Secretary of State for Health, António Lacerda Sales, the President of the ACSS, Vítor Herdeiro, the President of the National Council of Professional Orders (CNOP), Carlos Mineiro Aires, representatives of the Social Partners and Professional Associations and physiotherapists who greatly honoured this historic moment with their presence.
The President of the Installation Commission (IC) of the Order of Physiotherapists (Order), Isabel de Souza Guerra, opened the session by thanking and greeting everyone present, especially the President of the Order of Certified Accountants, for providing the excellent auditorium for this event.
She thanked the excellent team that worked with her as an installation committee for their work, which laid solid and secure foundations for the future of the organisation, which she hoped would be strong and innovative and represent the profession and all physiotherapists with dignity.
He outlined all the work carried out by the General Council, in particular the enrolment and electoral processes, greeting those elected and then swearing in the 50 members of the General Council, in the person of the Chairman of the General Council, Rui Jorge Dias Costa.
Maria da Conceição Bettencourt, member of the IC of the Portuguese Bar Association, announced her commitment to honour and sign the acceptance form of the Jurisdictional Council, in the person of its President, Isabel de Souza Guerra, identifying the other 4 members of the body.
The President of the IC of the Order also announced the pledge of honour and the signing of the instrument of investiture of the President, António Manuel Fernandes Lopes, and gave him the floor for his inaugural speech.
The first President of the Order of Physiotherapists said a few words, thanked all those who had accompanied him on his personal and professional life journey, especially his family, and set out the guidelines for his proposed mandate.
His speech highlighted some key topics for the defence of the citizen, which he will seek to implement, such as the possibility of physiotherapists being able to refer users to other health professionals or to "a more qualified physiotherapist whenever the situation warrants it", even pointing out that "we already have many examples of good practice in this area in our country that we will have to value and spread".
António Manuel Fernandes Lopes argues that the conditions need to be created for physiotherapists to define the best way of allocating resources according to the needs of users from an integrated perspective and continuity of care, supported by a demonstration of the results of their intervention, supported by cost-benefit studies and an evaluation of the levels of satisfaction by the citizens themselves.
He also emphasised that physiotherapists are the professionals of choice for solving problems with the movement system and functionality, and in this way also contribute to reducing health costs and the economic and social impact of illness. For the president, "it is imperative to act preventively".
The ceremony ended with the presence and speech of the Deputy Secretary of State for Health, Dr António Lacerda Sales, representing Dr Marta Temido, Minister of Health.
In his speech, he emphasised the Order's contribution to "the provision of physiotherapy care with quality, safety and good results by certified and competent professionals". "Its priority must indeed be to defend the fundamental rights of citizens and safeguard the public interest by resisting corporate temptations to unionise." The new Order is even "more important" if we consider that physiotherapy is one of the most represented professions in the provision of health care, involving more than 14,000 professionals in Portugal, he emphasised in his speech.
The event ended with a brief moment of fraternisation accompanied by a Cocktail of Honour.
Follow the event in the photo gallery here
You can also watch or review the film of the event here