Who is Nelson Teich, the most cited to replace Mandetta in the Ministry of Health?

Oncologist and healthcare entrepreneur Nelson Luiz Sperle Teich is the leading name cited to take the place of Luiz Henrique Mandetta (DEM-MS) as Minister of Health. He met this Thursday (04/16), at the Palacio do Planalto, with President Jair Bolsonaro (without party).

Born in Rio de Janeiro, the doctor graduated from the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) and specialized in oncology at the National Cancer Institute (Inca). He is currently a partner at Teich Health Care, a medical services consultancy.

Teich served as an informal consultant on the president’s election campaign in 2018, and at the time, he was even cited for the position, but was ultimately ignored by Mandetta.

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Still, he participated in the government, between September 2019 and January 2020, as an advisor to Denizar Vianna, secretary of Science, Technology and Strategic Supplies of the Ministry of Health.

He was also a member of the MDI Institute of Education and Research. The research and experimental development company in social, human, physical, and natural sciences and professional and managerial development training opened in March 2009 and closed in February 2019, according to the IRS website.

In 1990, he founded the Oncology Group of Integrated Clinics (COI), being its president until 2018; in 2015 the company was bought by UHG / Amil.

He was also the founder and president (pro bono) of the Institute of Management, Education and Research of the IOC, a non-profit organization created in 2009 to carry out research and clinical projects and execute training and education programs in various areas of the medical care. cancer and, in 2016, Medinsight – Decisions in Health, a research and consulting company in health economics.

And between 2010 and 2011, Teich, who has a doctorate in Health Sciences – Health Economics from York University, UK, provided consulting in this area at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo.

“Nelson is one of the leading oncologists in the country and is a great businessman, businessman and health manager. His current moment is dedicated to public causes,” says Angélica Nogueira, director of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC).

The doctor emphasizes that he is very political, technical, scientific and an excellent negotiator. “In an eventual transition, his arrival may be positive, since he is a technically prepared professional who can promote good communication between Planalto and the Ministry of Health,” he adds.

What does Teich think about the coronavirus?

In recent weeks, the oncologist has published articles on the professional network LinkedIn about coronaviruses. In one of them, entitled “COVID-19: Histeria ou Wisdom?”, He comments on the polarization that seized Brazil at the time.

“The discussion on the strategies and actions that were defined by governments, including the Brazilian one, to control the covid-19 pandemic shows an increasing polarization, facing different points of view about the possible benefits and risks of isolation, confinement and closure. of companies and businesses can generate for society, “he wrote.

“It is as if there is a group focused on people and health and another on the market, companies and money, but this divided, antagonistic and perhaps radical approach is not the one that will most help society to overcome this problem”, He says. , still, the article.

He also emphasized that “the situation of the health manager is very difficult, because he needs to make difficult decisions using information and projections that present great uncertainty” and that “success will depend on the ability to collect critical data in real time, incorporate it and analyze it. this updated database, to adjust the projections regarding the possible impacts of the elections, review the decisions and design new measures and actions. “

In another text, “COVID-19: How to conduct the Health System and Brazil,” stresses that horizontal isolation, contrary to what Bolsonaro defends, is the best strategy at the moment.

“Given the lack of detailed and complete information on the behavior, morbidity and lethality of covid-19, and with the possibility that the Health System cannot absorb the growing demand of patients, the option of horizontal isolation, where all The population that does not carry out essential activities needs to follow social distance measures, it is the best strategy at the moment.In addition to the impact on patient care, horizontal isolation is a strategy that allows you to gain time to better understand the disease and implement measures that allow economic recovery in the country. “

Regarding the option announced by the president, he points out that he has weaknesses and would not represent a definitive solution to the problem: “As an example, the information that most transmissions occur from people without symptoms is real, if we leave people in increased risk of Covid-19 death in the home and the release of those with less risk of working, over time we would have asymptomatic people who transmit the disease to families, high-risk people who isolated themselves and stayed at home strategic or intelligent isolation. “

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