During a Friday interview with TV Globo, PL presidential candidate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro announced that he intends to appoint doctor Claudio Lottenberg to head the Health Ministry if elected in October. The statement was made during an interview in which he presented his proposals and choices for a potential government.
Claudio Lottenberg is an ophthalmologist, holds a master's and doctoral degree from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), chairman of the board of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and the Brazilian Jewish Confederation (Conib). He also works as a presenter on Jovem Pan News. In 2005, he was municipal health secretary of São Paulo during the term of then-Mayor José Serra.
Lottenberg had previously shown closeness to former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio's father, having been considered to take over the Health Ministry during the father's administration. However, he later issued harsh criticism of the then-occupant of the Palácio do Planalto during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In April 2020, shortly after the pandemic began, Lottenberg was one of the names considered to replace the then health minister, amid the federal government's difficulties in addressing the health crisis.
