Hospital Ortopédico de Sant’Ana: 122 years of history in healthcare provision
The Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa facility began as a sanatorium in the early 20th century and is now a leading centre in the field of orthopaedics, upholding the legacy of its founder.
The Hospital Ortopédico de Sant’Ana (HOSA), part of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, is celebrating its 122nd anniversary this month. With a long history, this healthcare facility has established itself over the years as a centre of excellence dedicated to the diagnosis, surgical treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders.
HOSA bases its work on the provision of high-quality care, characterised by ease of access and a timely response – a balance made possible solely by the hospital’s four core values:
- Humanised care;
- Quality of care provided;
- Continuing professional development;
- Engagement with the community.
The fight against tuberculosis at its roots
The history of the Hospital Ortopédico de Sant’Ana is steeped in history, and it all began over 100 years ago, with the founding of what was then the Sant’Anna Sanatorium, when Dr José Tomás de Sousa Martins – one of the leading figures in the fight against tuberculosis in Portugal – secured the support of Mr and Mrs Biester.
The Sanatorium was inaugurated in 1904 by D. Claudina Chamiço, heiress to the Biester couple, with patient care provided by the Sisters of São Vicente de Paulo and, later, by the Dominican Sisters of Santa Catarina de Sena, a religious congregation which has maintained a resident presence at the Hospital to this day.
In 1913, the management of the Sanatorium was taken over by a seven-member committee, which included the Provedor of Santa Casa, the institution that assumed full responsibility for its management in 1927. With a break from 1977 to 1982, during which time it was part of the Directorate-General for Hospitals, the institution – by then classified as a hospital – came definitively under the authority of Santa Casa, in accordance with the testamentary bequest of D. Claudina Chamiço.
But the history of HOSA is also one of evolution and modernisation. In 2018, a new hospital unit came into operation, equipped with modern facilities and equipment, housing the inpatient wards, the operating theatre, the recovery unit and the central sterilisation unit, which enables the hospital to currently perform more than 2,000 operations a year.
More recently, a new wing with over 40 beds was opened to accommodate patients following their discharge from hospital, strengthening cooperation with the National Health Service.
A well-chosen location and pioneering architecture
Situated on the coast at Parede, a location chosen for its coastal climate and the belief, at the time, in the therapeutic benefits of sea air for the treatment of tuberculosis, Sant’Ana Hospital boasts a unique architectural design by Rosendo Carvalheira, who designed a building considered pioneering and exemplary for its time, both nationally and internationally.
Accordingly, the Culture Department of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa organises free guided tours of the HOSA premises, subject to prior booking, enabling the public to learn about the century-old history of this institution dedicated to charitable causes.
