When did you decide to study Medicine?

Medicine came very late in my life. Everything started from an experience I had volunteering in Mozambique (1973-1978), linked to the Missionary Society and the Diocese of Nampula, at the home (school) of S. José (in the “bush”), about 30 km from the city and then in Nacala. I stayed there for 5 years; I spent independence there. Then I returned to Portugal to study Medicine with the idea of returning there. It ended up not happening, because, in the meantime, I got married, we had a son, and, also, the war between FRELIMO and RENAMO broke out.

 

What do you remember from those times in Nampula?

There are smells that I will never forget—the smells of the night in moonlit conversations. We talked a lot, and it was a time of personal relationship that I will cherish forever. It was a rewarding time in my life.

 

You dedicated your entire life to community health. Has your experience in Mozambique made you interested in working with communities?

Of course. During my undergraduate studies, I worked with a professor to help her during her PhD. We would go to Vila Real during the holidays to work voluntarily to obtain data for her thesis. It was a time that awakened this desire to be close to the community. And of course, my wife was a big influence on me. I married an amazing public health nurse and that motivated me to pursue that field. My wife's commitment to public health was truly contagious. In the 70s, my wife did very innovative things for the benefit of the population. She was involved in the campaign against measles, and vaccination campaigns, she visited homes in poor neighbourhoods, salt mines, and prostitution zones and followed Gonçalves Ferreira's campaigns that drastically reduced infant mortality. These campaigns were so important that it was even before April 25th that, in Portugal, we reached the point of civilization. They were extraordinary feats.

 

Why is community health such a fascinating area to you?

It is the basis of all health interventions. When we think about primary health care we are thinking about community health. The minimum health standards must be guaranteed to everyone. Why might we not be entitled to million-euro treatments? Because these millions will take away the chance to provide the basic care needed. This work with the community has always touched me a lot, so much so that I ended up dedicating my life to it, although I have always maintained my clinical work as a general practitioner. Medicine is a profession of relationships and closeness. In the family where I grew up (we are six siblings), contact was always important and decisive for my growth. Proximity must be in everything I do.

 

“It is in proximity that the nurse defines himself.”

 

In your experience as a professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing and researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, why is the role that Universidade Católica has in community health relevant?

Nurses are those on the front line, and the health of the community even when it comes to clinical care, has a fundamental substrate. The nurse is the one who deals with the person in their immediate environment. The nurse goes beyond the clinical part and tries to understand the person in their socioeconomic and family context. Católica stands out in the training of nurses because it is in closeness that the nurse defines himself. Care is the basis of everything.

 

You have a career of over 40 years. How have you managed to always be at the serving of Medicine?

With a spirit of responsibility for the contribution I have received throughout my life. What I have been able to give throughout my life was given back to me.

 

“It gives me great joy to live.”

 

At 75 years old you continue working… 

Yes (laughs). Within what is asked of me and what I can do, namely in volunteer activities.

 

Is volunteering an important aspect of your life?

It's important to me. Volunteering makes us realize how fragile we are. Volunteering teaches us to be grateful for who we are and what we have.

 

Why is it so important to be grateful?

I thank God for being alive and for all the life He has given me. I am grateful for the time I spent single, married, and widowed; I am grateful for the time I spend now with my family, with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. It gives me great joy to live and for that, I should be grateful. If I am not thankful, I don't feel happy.