On 13 December, the inauguration ceremony for the governing bodies of the Portuguese Physiotherapists' Association took place in the auditorium of the Lisbon School of Health, following the elections held on 5 December.
The session began in the morning with the inauguration of the General Council, preceded by a speech by the President of the Electoral Commission, Rui Jorge Dias Costa, who outlined the electoral process and the respective results. This was followed by the reading and signing of the terms of office by the elected members of the General Council, formalising the beginning of this body's term of office.
During the afternoon, the ceremony continued with a speech by the President of the General Council, Maria António Ferreira de Castro, and the inauguration of the remaining National and Regional Bodies, namely the Jurisdictional Council, the Supervisory Council, the Regional Directorates and the Regional Assembly Boards of the North, Centre, South, Azores and Madeira. The session culminated with the inauguration of the President of the Bar Association.
In his speech, António Lopes, reappointed as President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists' Association, highlighted the progress made during his previous term of office and the fundamental pillars of the profession's regulation, emphasising the importance of defending the interests of users and the role of the Association as a regulatory body. He emphasised the need to consolidate the work carried out and to plan for the future of the profession with ambition and responsibility:
“The future of the Order lies in consolidating the path we have been building, with vision and ambition, placing Physiotherapy at the service of health, citizens and the public interest.”
The ceremony also featured musical performances by Jorge A. Silva on piano and Marina Zambujo on vocals, and was broadcast live on the Order of Physiotherapists' YouTube channel.
