Stephen Kanitz
Published in Authos Facebook Page.
The backstage fight between Bolsonaro and Mandetta will never be portrayed correctly, never believe a history book.
To understand this fight, first some facts.
The Brazilian Army has been concerned with health since its inception, concerned that it was with its soldiers.
It had three of the best hospitals of the time and created the Medical-Military Application School (1910), the Army Health Service Application School (1921) and the Army Health School (1933).
In 1904 the Army was involved in the Vaccine Uprising, against smallpox, when the population revolted against vaccination.
That is why epidemics and vaccines have always been discussed among our military, more so than our doctors, as seen.
Army doctors are also the most knowledgeable about malaria, in São Paulo no doctor has ever seen this disease.
Even though he was not a doctor, Bolsonaro had a very different exposure to medicine than Mandetta, an orthopedist he practically never practiced.
In March, Trump calls Bolsonaro asking what was the Brazilian hydroxychloroquine production, and that he should investigate because it appeared to be a “game changer”.
Bolsonaro obviously consulted his Army doctors, who he trusts more and who understand a lot about this medicine and use it directly in the Amazon to treat malaria.
Bolsonaro is excited and passes this information on to his Minister.
Mandetta simply dismissed it, “nonsense”, fought the hypothesis to be tested from the beginning.
Not being a doctor, Bolsonaro obviously gave in.
But he begins to realize that there are two types of medicine, that of the knowledge of his army, and that of the politician in the area of ??health, who begins to have higher dreams.
Bolsonaro is also strongly pressured by Guedes, who warns against exaggerated confinement, which could stop the economy, break thousands of companies, and make money for good.
Between saving possibly 2,000 elderly people in a critical situation, and saving 40 million possible unemployed people from hunger, Bolsonaro has no more doubts.
Bolsonaro becomes the only one to realize that the problem is not saving the lives of the coronavirus, but saving the economic life especially of the 12 million unemployed, for example.
That if they don’t find a job they won’t have another year to live if they die of hunger.
The second friction between Bolsonaro and Mandetta appears when news comes from Prevent Senior, which cheers up doctors in the Army and Bolsonaro himself.
Bolsonaro returns to the charge, and receives more negatives.
“They are picks,” says Mandetta, “they are not a serious company”, “they are a bunch of irresponsible people”, which the Minister repeated inelegantly at a press conference.
Mandetta suggested intervening at Prevent Senior and preventing the use of this unproven drug, which every famous infected doctor implored to take.
That’s when I was even worried.
Fan that I was of the safe posture of Mandetta, until that moment.
Prevent Senior is a winning company, a worldwide case, studied by hospital administrators from all over the world, taught at Harvard Business School, which I trust.
Bolsonaro was slow to be informed of the personal fight between Mandetta and Prevent Senior.
Which is now known by the majority of the press, silent.
Not only did he feel deceived by his Minister, to the detriment of the nation, but he was furious at his adviser’s lack of preparation and motivation.
They made hydroxychloroquine a political battle, rather than a decision by the dying patient and his doctor.
And total neglect for those who cannot go a day without work.
Instead of coming together in the face of a crisis, many Brazilian leaders are looking to take advantage of the pandemic to seize power in 2020.
When, at these moments, everyone is expected to cooperate, including politicians and the opposition press.
