Jorge Roque da Cunha, who has been with SIM since its foundation in 1979, took over leadership of the union in 2012, a position he now leaves, after four terms.
The XIV Congress of the Independent Union of Doctors takes place today, in Peniche, and will be marked by the election of Nuno Rodrigues as general secretary, replacing Jorge Roque da Cunha, who led the union for the last 12 years.
At the congress, the governing bodies of the Independent Doctors’ Union (SIM) will be elected for the three-year period 2024-2027 and the new general secretary.
Jorge Roque da Cunha, who has been with SIM since its foundation in 1979, took over leadership of the union in 2012, a position he now leaves, after four terms.
In an interview with Lusa, Roque da Cunha said that he left with the feeling of duty accomplished and the “deep conviction” that a position of responsibility “is not eternal”.
“It is a decision that was taken and I am sure that just as my predecessor delivered the SIM, in quotation marks, in better conditions than the one who received it, I have no doubt that the legacy I leave to my colleagues is better than than the one I received. This is our role, which is an essential role in society”, declared the union leader.
Regarding the future general secretary, the union leader said that he is a “public health doctor, with a lot of experience in negotiation terms”, and that “he is an asset to the union”, having been part of the National Secretariat since 2018.
Regarding the congress, he said that Nuno Rodrigues, doctor at the Local Health Unit (ULS) Oeste, will present his program that “is continuous”.
“There are some new things, not only improving our communication capacity, but fundamentally not losing focus on our capacity for dialogue, searching for solutions and understanding” so that doctors can have a career perspective that avoids resorting to each increasingly greater to service providers.
The outgoing secretary general is convinced that Nuno Rodrigues, 41 years old, and his team will “continue and improve” the work done.
“I am convinced that in three years, when my colleague Nuno Rodrigues makes this assessment, he will be in better conditions than we are today in relation to the working conditions of doctors, which is essential that this can happen, because otherwise, this situation is perfectly unsustainable ”, concluded Roque da Cunha to Lusa.
Tags: Independent Doctors Union today elects Nuno Rodrigues general secretary
