As part of the webinar series on health systems and policies, this month’s meeting will focus on sustainable healthcare and will feature João Queiroz e Melo, the pioneer of heart transplants in Portugal.
A general and cardiac surgeon, Dr Queiroz e Melo performed the first heart transplant in Portugal at the Hospital de Santa Cruz in 1986. He was decorated with the Military Order of Sant’iago da Espada in 1988 and, later, with the Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique in 2005.
He has worked in several Portuguese hospitals, as well as leading institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Netherlands and Italy. One of the most notable operations he performed was on the former President of the Republic, Dr Jorge Sampaio. Also, he has held various positions, including president of the Heart Institute, the Cardiovascular Cryobiology Centre, the Biomedical Technology Institute, and the Santa Cruz Hospital Board of Directors. He was a member of the National Council for Ethics in Life Sciences in the first and current (sixth) terms.
Among his several distinctions, are the José Carlos Belchior Award (1987), the National Health Award (2017), and most recently, the Ministry of Health’s Distinguished Service Medal (2025). These awards recognise his contributions to the health sector, both as a cardiac surgeon and subsequently as an advocate for environmental sustainability in healthcare. In this field, he is the co-founder of the Portuguese Health and Environment Council, and since 2010 he has been conducting research and carrying out educational and dissemination work on environmental sustainability in healthcare. He is the author of the book Health and Environmental Care: An Uncomfortable Truth, published by Principia.
To attend, send your request to Registration – NOVA Health.
For more information about upcoming webinars, visit the NOVA Health website
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