Einstein Hospital Places Cláudio Lottenberg on Leave After Flávio Bolsonaro Names Him Future Minister

Cláudio Lottenberg will step away from his leadership role at Einstein Hospital after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro named him as his choice for health minister if he wins Brazil’s presidential election in October.

Einstein Hospital said Lottenberg, president of the deliberative council of the Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Albert Einstein, will begin leave from his governance responsibilities on September 1. The leave will last until the end of the electoral period.

The hospital said the decision follows Einstein’s ethics code. The code requires political neutrality and bars the use of the institution’s property and resources for political purposes.

Lottenberg also chairs Conib, the Israelite Confederation of Brazil, and previously served as São Paulo’s municipal health secretary during José Serra’s administration. After Flávio Bolsonaro’s announcement, a group of Jewish women and men brought forward a manifesto supporting Lula’s re-election, according to columnist Mônica Bergamo.

The manifesto had collected more than 1,000 signatures and sought to make clear that Lottenberg does not represent Brazil’s Jewish community in his support for Bolsonaro’s political camp. Supporters of the physician said his selection reflected his technical ability rather than his religion.