BRASILIA – Less than a month after taking office, Brazilian Minister of Health Nelson Teich presented his resignation to President Jair Bolsonaro, the ministry said on Friday.
The ministry did not clarify the reason for the official’s departure, but noted that a press conference would be held on Friday afternoon.
Teich, an oncologist, took office on April 17, replacing Luiz Henrique Mandetta.
Like his predecessor, Teich disagreed with President Bolsonaro about how to best combat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.
Bolsonaro has announced his intention to change the protocol of the Unified Health System and allow chloroquine to be administered during treatment for the disease, while Teich did not agree with this.
This week, the president published a resolution that expanded essential activities in the country to include beauty salons, barber shops, and gyms, and Teich was reportedly not consulted on for the decision.
Teich was called to a meeting at the Planalto Palace on Friday morning by President Bolsonaro, and after returning to the Ministry of Health office, his resignation was announced by his advisers.
Brazil, the hardest-hit country in Latin America, registered record 15,305 new cases, bringing its total to 218,223 confirmed cases of the virus and 14,817 deaths since the outbreak began, according to health ministry data.
