Brazil health minister resigns just weeks into job

Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned on Friday after just weeks on the job, adding to turmoil in President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of an accelerating coronavirus outbreak in one of the world's worst hot spots.

Teich, whom Bolsonaro had criticised as being too timid in the push to reopen the economy and advocate the use of anti-malarial drugs to fight the virus, said he had decided to resign from his position.

During a news conference on Friday, Teich thanked Bolsonaro for offering him the opportunity to work as the health minister and said he had given it his best, but gave no reason for why he was leaving the position.

The loss of his second health minister in less than a month spurred criticism of the right-wing president from politicians and calls for his impeachment. In Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where the disease has pushed public hospitals to capacity, Brazilians banged pots and pans from their windows in protest.

Military members of the Brazilian cabinet are pushing for deputy health minister Eduardo Pazuello, an army general on active duty, to become the new health minister, making permanent his interim role, a government source told a news agency.



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