The History of the Foundation of the Centenary Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Óbidos-PA

Abstract

The city of Óbidos is located on the left bank of the Amazon River, at its narrowest point, called by Paul Le Cointe the Amazon gorge with about 1892 meters wide, on top of a hill, and due to its strategic importance it was a mandatory passage on the Belém-Manaus-Belém routes, serving as a base for the Fourth Coastal Artillery Group of the Brazilian Army, for the defense of the country's sovereignty in the region.

To better understand the historical context and its importance, in the 1920 census, Pará and the city of Belém had a population of 983,507 and 236,402 inhabitants respectively. Óbidos, with approximately 6,000 inhabitants, 1,100 km from Belém, whose only means of transport was the river,when there were patients in need of hospitalization they had to be removed to the capital. The creation of a charity hospital in the city was an ideal of Captain Doctor Dr. João Braulino de Carvalho, who in 1920 planned to build a small Hospital, which could serve the population, perform surgeries, hospitalizations and deliveries, starting a large campaign with the population to raise donations. It was inaugurated on September 07, 1922, in commemoration of the Centenary of the Independence of Brazil and also created the Associação de Charidade Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Óbidos. One hundred years later, the seed blossomed and grew, keeping alive the feeling and values that permeated its creation,which is to care for and support the most needy in their illnesses, becoming perennial.