“Vaccination is very important. The vaccine is safe and in addition to protecting people’s health, it helps to prevent a brutal influx into health centers and emergency services in hospitals, which are already undersized even for routine use, worsening with peaks in emergency situations”, said António Sarmento.

In an interview with the Lusa agency, three years ago, the doctor who was the first Portuguese person to be vaccinated against covid-19, stated he knew taking the vaccine “helped to influence the decision of many people”, and expressed concern regarding the current crisis of the National Health Service (SNS), he believes a “more stable influx of patients to hospitals could help”.

“Which is why the vaccine is important, please get vaccinated”, he stressed.

António Sarmento was the director of the infectious disease service at Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João (CHUSJ), in Porto, for 16 years, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 27, 2020.

“A normal day”, became a milestone in the history of health in Portugal, with the infectious disease specialist appearing before the Minister of Health at the time, Marta Temido, and the current leader of Direção-Executiva do SNS, Fernando Araújo, who was the president of the CHUSJ board of directors.

“When I was told I was going to be the first, I thought: “The first in the hospital? Ok. It makes sense for me to lead by example. When I saw all those journalists, I was surprised. I didn’t feel special. I was happy to receive the vaccine that helped substantially in reducing the number of cases”, recalled the 68-year-old doctor, who does not plan on retiring anytime soon because “he doesn’t want to abandon ship”.

“I could have already retired, but I’m not going to unless it becomes mandatory, health in Portugal is bad and it worries me. It doesn’t mean I’m going to resolve everything, but it bothers me to jump ship at this stage and in this way”, he shared.

When asked about solutions, António Sarmento lamented “The SNS was designed 50 years ago, for a social, epidemiological and medical reality that has nothing to do with today’s times.”

The SNS “worked very well within the scope for which it was designed”, however, “after 10 years, it had to start being adapted due to society changing dramatically”, said António Sarmento.

“In the first years, the SNS was underfunded but still kept going due to the human capital it had, human capital full of energy and enthusiasm. And because of the equipment purchased. But medicine is an eminently human activity and it very much reflects on humanity, or the inhumanity of society. This society is becoming progressively more individualistic and people are losing sense of the common good. This affects doctors, nurses and the population in general”, he explained.

António Sarmento is one of the 100 honorees on the list of citizens, entities and companies that the Porto City Council distinguished on December 27, in a ceremony at Casa da Música, which was attended by the Minister of Health, Manuel Pizarro.