A «Aljezur treat», in the form of bags of five kilos of the famous sweet potato of this county of Costa Vicentina, began to be delivered this Friday, March 5, to professionals working in the hospitals of Portimão and Lagos.
The City Council of Aljezur offered 2 bags of this delicacy to the University Hospital Center of the Algarve (CHUA), as a form of “thank you and gratitude to these professionals, but also in recognition of the sacrifice they have made”.
The sweet potatoes will reach “all who are involved in this immense work that has been done over the last year”, in these health units.
“We are at a time when we need good examples and to pull people up. It is necessary to recognize and value the work and, above all, show gratitude. And that is what we are doing», explained José Gonçalves, mayor of Aljezur, in a symbolic session for the delivery of bags of sweet potato to representatives of different sectors within the CHUA, which took place this Friday morning, at the Hospital of Portimão.
"Obviously, there is a double opportunity here, which is to help, too, our producers, who this year have had a drop in their sales, while looking at these women and men who have been fighting this pandemic for a year," he added. the Aljezurense mayor.
And, for those who are on the other side, this treat is welcome.
«I thank the City Council of Aljezur for offering sweet potatoes, which are great, but mainly for the recognition. With everything we have abdicated throughout this year, it is good to feel the recognition of the population», considered, on the sidelines of the session, Inês Simões, CHUA's doctor and representative of her class at today's ceremony.
“The days go by and we're not too worried about that. But, when we have a little time to breathe, and at this stage we are calmer, it feels good to hear that everything we have done, back, was worth it and that we are a source of pride for both the population and our bosses," he said. the young doctor from the Hospital de Portimão.
And from the heads, in this case Ana Castro, president of the Board of Directors of CHUA, praise also arrives.
“I think it's very important that we thank the professionals for each other, because we don't thank much, we don't have that culture much. We only do it, normally, when people leave, when we lose them», he framed.
“If it weren't for these people, things wouldn't have gone the same way. This team is really fantastic», he praised.
Ana Castro also stressed the “double meaning” of this gesture by the Municipality of Aljezur: “on the one hand, it is an acknowledgment of our professionals by this population, but it is also a help to these producers, who are currently having a hard time. ».
“We all have to remember that people like them will need our help otherwise. And I think this is very important», he considered.
For now, the producers of sweet potato from Aljezur, of the Lira variety, which has a Protected Geographical Indication, had a great deal of help from the Chamber, taking into account that the 10 tons purchased to offer those who are in the front line of combating the pandemic are a considerable part of the total production of this local product, which will be around 30 tonnes.
«The sweet potato was purchased through the Association of Sweet Potato Producers of Aljezur. There are about 50 to 60 producers and this is an opportunity for them. Normally, they sell a large quantity of their product during the Sweet Potato Festival, but this year it was not possible to have a normal edition», said José Gonçalves.
The event did not stop being held, but in other ways, in an online version, so «sales were not the same thing. The restoration is not working either, so there has been a substantial break».
“At the festival, in about three days, 20 or so tons are sold. This amount is about half. But we've also had that online sale and we bought sweet potatoes to put in the baskets we offer employees and entities», recalled the mayor of Aljezur.
Gestures such as that of the Aljezurense municipality have been repeated since the beginning of the pandemic.
“Our professionals, fortunately, felt very closely the support of both the municipalities and the population in general, because there were also citizens who took individual initiatives for recognition. At Portimão Arena, but also here at the Hospital, we often receive meals and other treats, which are things that always go down very well. The professionals are grateful and feel that people are also grateful for the work we do», said Ana Castro.
«And after a year of work, no vacation, no rest, I think this is very important for each one of us. We are playing our role, of course, but we are going beyond that, because everyone is already beyond their capabilities», he added.
«This treat is very important and makes a difference for all of us», summarized the head of hospitals in the Algarve.
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