A judge of Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday authorized the opening of an investigation to determine the possible responsibility of Health Minister Eduardo Pazuelo on the collapse of the health system during the second wave of epidemics in Amazon.

Judge Ricardo Lewandowski ordered Mr. Pazuelo to conduct an inquiry in the coming days and set a time limit of two months to conclude the investigation, the institution said.

Attorney General Augusto Arras has called for an investigation into alleged “reckless attitude” in the event of a crisis, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 100 people due to lack of oxygen in overwhelmed hospitals. There is a flood of Kovid-19 patients.

The Ministry of Health on 8 January acknowledged the supplier to be alert to the “imminent lack of oxygen”.

By Christmas, the minister was already aware of the increase in Kovid-19 infections in Manaus, but he sent ministry officials only a week later, adding the prosecutor, who also claims that patients are in other states There was a delay in transferring.

Mr. Pazuello was “likely to act to mitigate the effects of legal liability and distress, and possible delay”, Mr. Ars declared, could be a liability liable to engage civil, administrative and / or criminal liability.

Pazuelo, a 58-year-old general, is the third health minister of President Jair Bolsonaro. The distant leader is severely criticized for dealing with the epidemic, which has killed more than 217,000 people in Brazil.