Bolsonaro has appointed cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as new Minister of Health, the fourth since the start of the pandemic

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Monday that cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga will be the new Minister of Health, the fourth since the first case of covid-19 was recorded in the country that has become the current global epicenter of the pandemic.

The president announced the replacement of the current minister, the general of the army Eduardo Pazuello, during a conversation with supporters in front of the Palacio de la Alvorada, the residence of the presidency, and announced that the nomination will be published in the Tuesday edition of the Official Journal.

The change of minister It comes at the most sanitary moment for the South American country in the past year, with records of infections and deaths and numerous restrictions imposed by state leaders. despite Bolsonaro’s open reluctance.

Brazil is close to 280,000 deaths from the coronavirus and exceeds 11.5 million cases of the disease, which in fact the second country in the world in terms of both victims and cases, only surpassed by the United States.

The announcement took place a few hours later the cardiologist also Ludhmila Hajjar revealed that he had rejected the invitation that Bolsonaro had made him to assume at the head of Health to differ from the ideas of the Head of State around the best way to deal with the pandemic.

As well as Pazuello’s two predecessors, MP Luiz Henrique Mandetta and oncologist Nelson Teich, who left the ministry due to disputes with Bolsonaro, Hajjar said that, unlike the head of state, he believes that lockdowns are necessary to reduce infections and that the use of remedies without scientific evidence to treat the disease cannot be encouraged..

After Hajjar’s refusal, Bolsonaro met Queiroga on Monday afternoon and announced his appointment soon after in an informal conversation with his supporters and without the government confirming it.

“His appointment to the ministry was decided this afternoon. He is president of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. The conversation was great, I had known him for a few years, so he’s not someone I just met. In my opinion, he has everything to do a good job, continuing what Pazuello has done so far, ”he said.

He added that due to his training as a doctor, Queiroga has much more knowledge in the field than Pazuello, a military logistics specialist who had no previous health experience before taking office.

Pazuello had admitted shortly before, during a press conference, that the president was looking for someone to replace him but did not explain the reasons.

After thanking the military’s work, Bolsonaro said it was time to go “for a more aggressive part in the fight against the virus”.

When Pazuello took office in May last year, after the resignation of his two predecessors in just over a month, Brazil recorded some 14,800 deaths and 218,000 infections.

Its management is also the subject of a judicial inquiry. due to suspicion of “omission” and “lack of transparency” in the treatment of a pandemic whose seriousness has been denied by Bolsonaro.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Brazilian far-right leader has downplayed the severity of the disease, defended the use of covid drugs without scientific verification, questioned the efficacy and safety of vaccines and criticized restrictive measures. use of masks.

KEEP READING: