SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday elected his fourth health minister since hitting the COVID-19 pandemic amid the worst problems in the country to date and after a series of mistakes declared by public health experts.
Marcelo Queiroga, president of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, will replace Eduardo Pazuello, an active army general, with logistics expertise that gained the position last May, despite no previous health experience.
Earlier Monday, Pazuello admitted at a press conference that Bolsonaro wanted to replace him. The first candidate for the post, cardiologist Ludhmila Hajjar, turned it down.
The departure of Pazuello means that Brazil’s fourth health minister will be ushered in during the pandemic, although he has led the ministry for the longest period of the three so far. The revolving door indicates the challenges for the government of the largest country in Latin America to put in place effective measures to control the spread of the virus – or even agree on what measures are needed.
Pazuello’s two predecessors left the position amid disagreements with Bolsonaro, who criticized the social distance and supported the use of an unproven anti-malarial drug to treat the disease. He still holds these positions, despite warnings from health experts and studies showing that the drug has no effect on COVID-19.
Pazuello was more compliant. Immediately after holding the post, his ministry supported the use and spread of the malaria pill. On several occasions he said that his boss told him what to do, and that he was obedient.
‘The conversation (with Queiroga) was excellent. I have known him for several years. He has everything needed to do a good job, to continue what Pazuello has done to this day, “Bolsonaro told supporters at the entrance to the presidential residence in Brasilia, adding that there was a transition period of will be up to two weeks with the outgoing and the incoming minister.
“The management of Pazuello was well done. “Now we are in a phase that is more aggressive in the fight against the virus,” said the Brazilian president.
Brazil recorded nearly 280,000 deaths due to the virus, almost all of which were on its watch. The toll has worsened recently, and the country is currently averaging more than 1,800 deaths a day. Large-city health care systems are on the verge of collapse, and lawmakers linked to Bolsonaro have suggested suitable replacements for Pazuello, while threatening to put pressure on an inquiry into its handling of the crisis.
The country’s high court is also investigating Pazuello for alleged neglect that contributed to the collapse of the health care system in the state of Amazonas earlier this year. The investigation will now be sent to a judge of the lower court.
Weeks later, in a particular embarrassment, his ministry accidentally sent a consignment of vaccines destined for the state of Amazonas to the neighboring state of Amapa, and vice versa, after confusing the abbreviations for each state.
Eventually, Pazuello received severe criticism for the slow explosion of Brazil. According to Our World in Data, an online research website that compares government statistics, only 5.4% of Brazilians are vaccinated. Almost all were photos of the Chinese bio-pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, which Bolsonaro repeatedly questioned.
Pazuello’s Ministry of Health also decided to purchase the vaccine from the government of Sao Paulo, until it had no chance of starting vaccination in January.
The only vaccine agreement Pazuello signed at the time, for 100 million doses of AstraZeneca jab, has so far brought few shots into the arms of Brazilians. His ministry has since struggled to conclude agreements with other suppliers, and recently concluded deals to acquire the Pfizer and Sputnik V shots.
Pazuello said at the press conference that he would not resign, and insisted that there would be continuity with whoever takes his position.
Cardiologist Hajjar has already revealed that Bolsonaro has interviewed her to replace Pazuello. She told television channel Globo News that science has already spoken out against treatment that Bolsonaro and his legions of supporters continue to fight, such as drugs to combat malaria and parasites, and that the country needs to take more restrictive measures for activities. She said she turned down the post.
“He has to choose someone he trusts, who joins him, his ideas, his vision and the government’s desire. And I am definitely not that person, ”she said.
Hajjar predicted between 500,000 and 600,000 total deaths, not to mention long-term consequences unless Brazil changes course.
Queiroga has already called Bolsonaro ‘a great Brazilian’. His social media channels do not criticize the president’s handling of the pandemic and are pushing for a rapid deployment of the vaccine.
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AP journalist David Biller contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro.