The Brazilian government fired the official who demanded a dollar for each dose to finalize the purchase of 400 million vaccines



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Roberto Ferreira Dias
Roberto Ferreira Dias

The Director of Logistics of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Roberto Ferreira Dias, He was dismissed from his post on Wednesday, amid growing complaints of alleged irregularities in purchasing coronavirus vaccines.

The decision, signed by the Minister of the Presidency, Luiz Eduardo Ramos, and anticipated by the Ministry of Health, was published in the Official Journal, although the reasons for the dismissal were not disclosed.

His stop occurs a few days later has been beset by reports of irregularities and corruption in vaccine procurement against COVID-19, which was revealed during statements by a Senate committee investigating possible omissions by the government of the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, in the face of the pandemic.

Dias has been accused of pressuring health ministry officials to accelerate the import of the Indian vaccine Covaxin, produced by the company Bharat Biotech, despite indications of possible irregularities in the contract, which provides for the acquisition of 20 million doses at a total price of $ 320 million.

A healthcare professional prepares a dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine to immunize a Brazilian against COVID-19 at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro (EFE / Antonio Lacerda / File)
A healthcare professional prepares a dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine to immunize a Brazilian against COVID-19 at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro (EFE / Antonio Lacerda / File)

In addition, on Tuesday, the newspaper San Pablo leaf assured that I would have asked for bribes to a representative of Davati Medical Supply in exchange for the approval of the purchase of millions of doses of the vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Specific, demanded a dollar bribe for each dose of AstraZeneca to complete the purchase of 400 million vaccines.

The Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, announced on Tuesday that the contract signed for the purchase of the Covaxin vaccine will remain “outstanding“Until certain complaints of irregularities in these negotiations are clarified.

It will also be time for the National Health Watch Agency (Anvisa, regulator) to comment on the effectiveness of Covaxin, which this body has not yet done and which is decisive in authorizing imports.

It is not appropriate to import these vaccines at this timeQueiroga said at a press conference.

Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, accumulating more than 515,000 deaths and 18.5 million people infected to date.

(With information from EFE)

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