During the great plague of Lisbon in 1569, Sebastian sent for doctors from Seville to help the Portuguese doctors fight the plague. He created two hospitals in Lisbon to take care of the afflicted. In his concern for the widows and orphans of those killed by the plague, he created several "Recolhimentos" (shelters), known as the "Recolhimento de Santa Marta" (shelter of Santa Marta) and the "Recolhimento dos Meninos" (shelter of the children), and provided wet nurses to take care of the babies.