Members of the Ministry of Health's emergency committee, created to advise the government on the novel coronavirus, warned the government against stockpiling chloroquine. In early July, the federal government had a reserve of 4,019,500 pills of the drug — just below the total that had been distributed, from 4,374,000 to that time.
At a meeting on May 25, when the ministry was negotiating the shipment of at least three tons of inputs to Brazil for the medicine production, the technicians warned of the risk of stockpiles.
"Due to the current situation, it is not advisable to bring a very large quantity, because if the protocol changes, we will have a huge inventory," says a document that recorded the meeting, obtained by Folha.
However, the total inventory could be even greater since some states did not want to receive the drug.
Despite a lack of scientific proof of effectiveness for the new coronavirus, President Jair Bolsonaro defends chloroquine. Infected with the disease, he says he took the medicine.
Sought by Folha, the Ministry of Health did not comment on the content of the minutes.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon