Last Thursday (16), state deputy Guilherme Cortez (PSOL-SP) filed a representation with the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) asking the agency to investigate the incineration of high-cost medicines for patients with rare diseases, a feat during the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
“It is increasingly evident that the Bolsonaro government provoked the biggest dismantling of public health that we have heard of. We denounce the government’s neglect during the pandemic, which neglected to purchase the vaccine. Now, the genocide promoted against the people comes to light. Yanomami and this new complaint, that the government burned medicines for rare diseases, HIV and cancer. It may have directly contributed to the death of more Brazilians,” said Cortez, who classified the former president’s conduct “a crime against public health and against humanity.”
In the representation, Cortez warns the MPF that the disposal of medicines “configures an act of administrative impropriety, illegal and contrary to the basic principles of public administration.”
The disposal of drugs was revealed by the newspaper Newspaper, who obtained the information via the Access to Information Act (LAI). The relationship shows medicines that have been incinerated by the Bolsonaro government since 2019. In all, R$ 2 billion in medicines may have been dispensed.
In the list of incinerated items are two doses of Spinraza, a drug used by patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. One dose cost R$ 160,000 to public coffers. In addition, R$ 8.5 million were lost in medicines intended for people with HIV.
Editing: Thalita Pires
