“The humbleness, the ethical concern and the priesthood of Medicine”, that make him “a senator in Medicine”, were highlighted by Luís Marques Mendes during the presentation he made of the autobiographical work by José Roquette, in his 75 years of age, cardiothoracic surgeon and the first clinical director of Hospital da Luz. The session gathered at Hospital da Luz Lisboa, late in the afternoon of March 8, over 300 people, among friends, former patients, health professionals, the former Presidents of the Portuguese Republic Ramalho Eanes and Cavaco Silva, and the current Head of the State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. In “De coração nas mãos” (With heart in the hands), José Roquette recalls stories of his childhood and his family, explains how and why he chose Medicine and tells how life led him to such diverse geographies as the frozen seas of Terra Nova, clinics in Switzerland and the shipyards of Docapesca. He also talks about his journey at Hospital de Santa Marta (where he was the director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Service), about the relationship with his mentor (Manuel Eugénio Machado Macedo), the opportunity to establish Hospital da Luz Lisboa (at the invitation of Isabel Vaz, having been the clinical director along 13 years) and Luz Saúde (where he still works and is the president of the Clinical Council). He also reveals many difficult and memorable moments, not only at the professional level, but also in his personal life, such as the recent overcoming of a pancreatic cancer. “This is an essay on the medicine of my days, on the evolution in its practice in Portugal, and on the legacy that I leave in this world of Cardiothoracic Surgery” , explains the author, who expressed the deepest appreciation for the presence of all in the presentation of the book. “A life that needed to be told” “For the path followed, this is clearly a life that needed to be told. And it is with an immense pride that we all receive him today, in this house that is his, and which he helped building”, stressed Isabel Vaz, the Luz Saúde CEO. “This is a book that is a pleasure to read”, added Marques Mendes during his presentation of the work, considering that it evidences clearly how “Medicine is a vocation and a mission for José Roquette”. And he explained: “Whether working in the public or the private sector, what he did was public service at all times, with passion and competence, without prejudice or complex, having stood out in both sectors by his humanity, responsibility and pursuit of excellence – as if suggesting the society in general and the political power in particular, something quite simple: in a small country like ours, with so many challenges ahead and such shortness of resources, what is the sense of prejudice, of complex and discrimination between public and private? What makes sense is for both sectors to work in a complementary way and in the same direction, the direction of quality and excellence”. And he concluded: “For all that he has done along his professional life, Dr José Roquette deserves this homage from us. Thank you, professor!”
