Only authorized health professionals can enter this door and are properly protected with the obligatory anti-Covid protective equipment. It was in this area of Internal Medicine D, on the 5th floor, that Professor Daniel Sampaio, a specialist in Psychiatry, was hospitalized with Covid 19 for 50 days.

Author of several books, he recently published another one dedicated to the professionals at Santa Maria Hospital, especially those who took care of him during his hospitalization, because, as he said in an interview in June, "they saved my life". In the book, he tells the whole process he went through and how in those times at hospital he questioned his own existence. From the book, it can be said that fiction only applies to the names of the people who took care of him. However, they are real and very present in the life of the Professor, who was once the caregiver and mentor.

In an interview to Newsfmul, the doctor described one of the moments of his hospitalization when he told the medical team: "don't do anything else, let me die here". The psychiatrist's request was not accepted by his professional colleagues, and what is true is that Daniel Sampaio entered the recovery phase and, after 50 days, he was discharged. This new virus left marks in the life of Daniel Sampaio, the main consequences were his hoarse voice and tiredness, when he walks non-stop for a long time.

In this interview, he wished to leave a very important message: “psychological resistance to the disease is very important. It is a disease where a person feels very lonely and therefore we have to get our energy reserves and convince ourselves that we have to survive, we have to keep going. This mindset was very important for my recovery”.

As a gesture of homage, not only to these professionals, but wishing to thank EVERYONE who worked on the front line to fight this pandemic, a TVI team was present at Internal Medicine D, to collect testimonials from the professionals who cared for the psychiatrist. Daniel Sampaio was invited to the “Cristina ComVida” programme to talk about his new book, and he ended up being surprised by the team that took care of him, as was the case with doctors and former students of the Faculty of Medicine Nuno Gaibino and Francisco Goiana.

Leonel Gomes
Editorial Team