Ministry of Health official sent R$ 77M funding decree to lobbyist

Swedenberger Barbosa, the former executive secretary of the Ministry of Health, allegedly sent a decree to lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger that increased federal health funding for Goiânia by R$ 77 million. Cell phone messages indicate that Barbosa sent the document to Luchsinger at 7:51 PM on April 30, 2024, just 17 minutes after the then-Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, had signed it.

The messages suggest the document was sent following a meeting between Barbosa and Luchsinger in Brasília. Luchsinger had previously engaged in discussions with Goiânia's health officials regarding the expansion of federal transfers for Medium and High Complexity (MAC) and Primary Care (PAP) resources.

The Ministry of Health stated that the increase in the MAC ceiling was a long-overdue adjustment applied to various states and capitals across the country without distinction. Barbosa's defense maintains that all transfers during his tenure followed legal and technical criteria and criticized the use of fragmented messages to support allegations.