1957 – Visit by Raoul Follereau
This year was the first visit by Raoul Follereau, founder of the Association for the Fight against Leprosy. He returned to visit the Hospital Colónia Rovisco Pais in 1968.
1957 – Newspaper “Luz”
Beginning of the edition of the journal of hospitalized patients, with the premise “for the defense and rehabilitation of leprosy patients”.
1960 – Leprology Courses
In 1960, the International Leprology Course was held in Coimbra, under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The year 1963 marked the beginning of a series of Summary Leprology Courses, which started to be held every two years in the Hospital Colónia Rovisco Pais.
1960 – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
The plastic surgery service was created at Hospital Colónia Rovisco Pais. One of the surgeons who developed this specialty in this hospital was Dr. João Veiga Vieira. In 1963 the number of interventions of this type was 95.
1961 – Leprology Technical Council
The Hospital Colónia Rovisco Pais started to be under the guidance of the Technical Council for Leprology (Decree-Law nº 43,756), which worked with the Leprosy Assistance Institute.
1962 – Hansen’s Portuguese Magazine
Beginning of the edition “Rovisco Pais, Revista Portuguesa de Hansen”, a regular publication of a scientific nature that made known the hospital’s medical, scientific and social activities until 1980.
1962 – Espariz Recovery Center
On 25 November, the Recovery Center was opened in Espariz (Tábua) to welcome and support the social reintegration of former patients, after they were cured.
1962 – Construction of Locutório
The Locutório was a small building next to the entrance, where the sick could see family and the healthy children who were interned in the Creche and Preventório in the Hospital complex. This measure was intended to avoid contagion.
1966 – Protection Association for Hansenians and Families
The creation of this association aimed at providing material assistance to patients admitted to the Hospital and their families.
1976 – Outpatient care assistance
The follow-up of some patients through the brigades and home nursing was carried out for several years by the Hospital Colónia, which assisted in the retreat of the disease, as a result of the new forms of therapy. This reality allowed the definition of the outpatient treatment regime as preferential (Decree-Law Nº 547).
