The parliament voted on 3rd July the proposals for the creation of the Physiotherapists Order already approved in the parliamentary speciality.
Last week, the parliamentary Labour Commission approved the creation of the two new professional associations, and today the proposals will be voted on in final form in the plenary of the Assembly of the Republic.
The creation of the Order of Physiotherapists received the favourable votes of the PS and the CDS, with the abstention of the remaining parties.
On the PSD side, Joana Barata Lopes told Lusa last week that the party abstained because it believes that professional associations should be created in exceptional cases, when the State is unable to ensure their regulation, namely due to conflicts of interest. However, she believes that professionals should not be the ones "to pay" for a lack of regulation by the Government.
The National Council of Professional Orders had already spoken out in late 2017 against the creation of the Order of Physiotherapists and also against the idea, which did not go ahead, of creating an Order of Health Technicians.
The Council, which brings together more than 300,000 regulated professionals, considered at the time that the orders have their own legislation and are only justified in "exceptional circumstances, which must be explained".
In Portugal there are currently 16 professional associations, eight of which are in the area of health.
Source: Public