The Fenix reborn: Occupational therapy in the first humanitarian mission in Portugal

Abstract

In Portugal, June 2017, there was a large fire, which was considered a national disaster. It led to changes in people's daily routines, affecting their occupational performance and making them vulnerable. At the time, the non-governmental organisation, Doctors of the World, implemented the first humanitarian mission in Portugal – The Hope Mission. This mission, which was made up of a nurse, a community mediator, two occupational therapists, four occupational therapy students and a clinical educator, intervened with the population of the entire affected region. Their main objective was to meet the needs of the people; involving them in significant activities, re-organising their roles and routines, re-structuring their daily lives, increasing their quality of life and their wellbeing and avoiding social isolation.