“Today, we are not just planting trees. We are planting roots.” With these words, the Executive Administrator of Hospital da Luz Ribatejo opened the “Roots That Unite Us” ceremony held today, 15 September, in the outdoor gardens of this new healthcare facility belonging to the Luz Saúde group. Nine social welfare organizations from across the region were invited to sponsor the trees that will grow in these green spaces, and all accepted the challenge. They brought along the children, young people, and individuals with disabilities whom they support and, together with Hospital da Luz Ribatejo teams, symbolically planted several trees. A plaque bearing the name of the sponsoring organization was placed beside each tree. This was the first time that Hospital da Luz Ribatejo brought together social welfare organizations from different municipalities across the Santarém district in an initiative designed to mark Luz Saúde’s arrival in the region. The event also precedes the opening of this new Hospital da Luz Network facility, scheduled to take place during the last quarter of the year. In a ceremony filled with joy and symbolism, the Executive Administrator of the new hospital emphasized: “Hospital da Luz Ribatejo is being born in Santarém, but it is not only a hospital for Santarém. We want to be close to the people of Abrantes, Tomar, Ourém, Torres Novas, Entroncamento, Almeirim, Rio Maior, and many other municipalities. We want every family in the Ribatejo region to feel that this hospital is also their home. And we chose to begin this story with organizations that dedicate their work every day to caring for people,” adding: “Today, it is these people, and above all these children, young people, and families, who give real meaning to these trees. Because a hospital is not built only with walls, technology, or equipment. It is built with people.” Standing alongside Fátima and Artur, two young people with disabilities who attended on behalf of two of the organizations invited to participate in “Roots That Unite Us,” Pedro Patricio also said: “Our responsibility does not end with caring for people’s health. We also have a social and environmental responsibility, and a responsibility towards future generations. These trees are a simple gesture, but they represent our commitment to growing sustainably and in connection with the community. That is the meaning of this project: to create roots that unite us. We want these trees to grow, just as we want our relationship with the entire region to grow. And many years from now, when we look at them, we hope to remember this day as the moment when we began building that connection.” He concluded by stating: “This is the hospital of all these children, their families, and all the families of the Ribatejo region. We want it to be a hospital that is close, present, and truly integrated into the region. Today we plant trees. From today onwards, we are also putting down roots.” In addition to representatives from each of the participating organizations, who planted the trees and received a certificate recognizing them as the trees’ official sponsors, the event was attended by Tatiana Silvestre (General Director), Rita Paulos (Clinical Director), and Miguel Neves (Chief Nursing Officer). The initiative aimed to create a green space that will grow alongside the new hospital, establish a lasting connection to the social solidarity work carried out by these organizations, and reinforce Hospital da Luz’s commitment to social responsibility in the Ribatejo region at a time when this new Luz Saúde facility is preparing to open its doors and strengthen healthcare provision throughout the area. For everyone present, these objectives are already being fulfilled.
