Pharmacies become «places of support» following Storm Kristin

Outside Farmácia Moderna, in Ferreira do Zêzere, one of the areas hardest hit by Storm Kristin in Portugal, the scene is one of devastation: uprooted trees, fallen electricity poles and debris piled up in gardens. Inside, however, the team’s smiles remain.

«We give it our very best because people need our comfort, our words and our kindness», says deputy technical director Catarina Rodrigues. Those who have visited the pharmacy in recent days have arrived «sad, anxious and angry», emotions that are often shared with the team. «It is difficult not to take that home with us», she acknowledges, as the effects of the storm have also extended into the personal and family lives of those who work there.

On the night of 27 January, powerful gusts of wind tore tiles from the home of Maria Eduarda Mota, owner and technical director of Farmácia Moderna. The solar panels were «blown» into the neighbouring garden and the chimney was destroyed. «It was a terrible night. From four in the morning onwards, no one could sleep. There were strange noises, extremely strong winds, and we could hear things falling», she recalls.

At daybreak, she decided to open the pharmacy. She describes it as her «mission», but nothing prepared her for what she would feel as she crossed the door separating her home from the pharmacy. «I felt like leaving, closing the doors and turning my back on everything», she admits. At that moment, there was only room for «desolation» and «despair».

Without electricity, water or communications, Farmácia Moderna remained open, although no one came in. It was only on the second day that people began to return, by which time a generator was providing light inside the pharmacy. «In total, we were without electricity for 11 days, without water for eight, and communications have still not been fully restored», says Maria Eduarda Mota. To preserve medicines that need to be refrigerated, she resorted to frozen water bottles that she usually keeps at home. «The first day there was no work at all. Then came several difficult days, constantly dealing with the same needs and with the considerable cost of fuel for the generator».

Around ten minutes away, the same situation unfolded at Farmácia Graciosa, in the centre of the town. «It was a catastrophe. It looked like a war zone, almost apocalyptic», says operations manager Rui Mamede. Without electricity, water or communications, and with photovoltaic panels blown more than 100 metres away by the wind, the pharmacy operated using only natural light.

As he approached the pharmacy the following day, he feared the worst. «We have a large tree at the entrance that was only damaged at the top. If it had been uprooted, like so many others, it would have fallen onto the pharmacy and destroyed everything. It was a miracle».

The priority was to «remove the debris and clear the way» in order to maintain normal operations, explains pharmacist Carina Coelho, the first member of staff to enter Farmácia Graciosa that morning. During the first few days, they dealt with urgent cases and people collecting their usual medication.

«Despite having no electricity and communications taking time to be restored, we never closed our doors. We kept medicines accessible to the population, even with the pharmacy operating with limited lighting», Rui Mamede says. The following day, they managed to acquire a generator, and on the evening of 31 January, communications gradually began to be restored.

«When a little bit of light started to appear, the pharmacy became a real place of support. People came in to have coffee because it was the only place where they could find a hot drink on those days when nothing was working, and they would end up opening up and sharing what they were going through», recalls Carina Coelho.

Now, several days after the storm and with destruction still visible, Ferreira do Zêzere is taking small steps towards normality. The first weekly market since the storm brought increased activity to Farmácia Graciosa.

«Little by little, we realised that people are trying to regain some sense of normality, and coming to the pharmacy is naturally an integral part of that process», says Rui Mamede.

The experiences of these pharmacies reflect the reality faced by many pharmacies in areas affected by the severe weather in Portugal. Despite significant damage and the constraints they faced, they continued to provide an exemplary service to the population. This response was only possible thanks to the resilience, professionalism and strong sense of mission of pharmacy teams, who ensured access to medicines, continuity of treatments and professional advice, reinforcing the role of pharmacies as an essential pillar of their communities, even in situations of extreme pressure and adversity.