The School of Health at the Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo (UNIPVC) received this Monday the first generation of Physiotherapy students, with a simultaneous launch at the Polytechnic Universities of Santarém and Viseu, partners in the consortium that delivers the new degree.
The rector of UNIPVC, Carlos Rodrigues, received the students stating that they are making history at the institution, emphasizing that the responsibility of blazing a trail goes hand in hand with the privilege of never being able to be repeated. The president of the Order of Physiotherapists, António Lopes, dispelled the misconception that Physiotherapy is limited to rehabilitation, explaining that it is a regulated profession throughout the European Union, with weight in public health policies and a central place in primary healthcare.
The director of the School of Health at UNIPVC, Luís Graça, linked the new program to population aging and the challenge of ensuring that living longer also means living better. The representatives from Santarém and Viseu, João Moutão and José Costa, classified the day as historic, while the directors of the respective schools, Hélia Dias and Manuela Ferreira, described the new field as demanding, noble and profoundly human, after a long and demanding journey leading to this first day.
