Brazilian Health Minister says he chose to leave and leaves plan ready for covid-19

Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich, who is resigning, announced that he has chosen to leave the Government, but that he leaves ready a plan to help states and municipalities to deal with the covid-19 pandemic.

“Life is made up of choices, and today I chose to leave. I did my best in this period. It is not a simple thing, being in this Ministry in such a difficult period. This is the work of a great team, who have always been on my side. and they worked hard for this country “, said Nelson Teich at a press conference, who resigned shortly before completing a month at the head of the Health portfolio.

However, Teich did not explain why he asked to leave the executive, led by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has not publicly commented on this request so far.

Nelson Teich also guaranteed that he left a work plan ready to help governors and mayors (mayors) to face the pandemic, so that they can better understand “what is happening and the next steps” to be adopted.

According to the dismissal minister, a testing program is also ready to be applied, and that it will be important to “understand the evolution of covid-19”.

Teich also praised the health secretaries of the states and municipalities, affirming that the secretariats have a weight equivalent to that of the Ministry in making decisions to face the pandemic.

“Health’s mission is tripartite: it involves the Ministry, Conass [Conselho Nacional de Secretários de Saúde], Conasems [Conselho Nacional de Secretarias Municipais de Saúde], the health secretaries. This is an important thing to be made clear. The Ministry thinks that [essa relação] it is true and essential to lead the country, both in terms of strategy and execution “, he added.

Teich, a trained oncologist, also thanked the president, Jair Bolsonaro, for the opportunity to have commanded the Ministry and praised the dedication of the team that worked with him.

“I thank the president for the opportunity he gave me to be part of the Ministry of Health. This was a very important thing for me. It would be very bad not to be able to work in the Ministry through SUS [Sistema Único de Saúde]. I was born thanks to public service, my schools were public, my college was public, public residences “, he declared.

“I did not accept the invitation for the position. I accepted it because I thought I could help Brazil and the people,” concluded the resigning minister at a press conference.

Nelson Teich resigned this Friday morning, the ministry’s press office told Lusa.

The oncologist had taken office on April 17, after the resignation of former minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who disagreed with the country’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, in conducting measures to combat the new coronavirus.

Teich’s wear and tear in less than a month in the government was evident this week, when he was informed by journalists about an increase in the list of essential activities, decreed by Jair Bolsonaro, which included barbers, hairdressers and sports gyms among activities that could work during the social isolation decreed by mayors and governors across the country.

The outgoing Health Minister also disagreed with Jair Bolsonaro about the indication of the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in patients with covid-19.

Teich thus became the third minister to leave the Bolsonaro government during the pandemic on the new coronavirus, after Luiz Henrique Mandetta (Saúde) and Sergio Moro (Justice).

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