José Henrique Germann Ferreira, the doctor who led São Paulo's Health Secretariat during the early Covid-19 pandemic, died on Saturday (10) at age 77. The cause of death was not disclosed. He took office in January 2019 under João Doria's administration and served until July 2020.
José Henrique Germann Ferreira passed away at 77, having led São Paulo's initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic as health secretary. Appointed in January 2019 at the start of João Doria's administration—then with the PSDB and now without a party—Germann implemented the Corujão da Saúde program, a key campaign promise of Doria, and promoted digital innovations such as the Hora Marcada app and the remote consultations program Multissaúde.
He left the position in July 2020 due to health issues, replaced by infectologist Jean Gorinchteyn, who served until the end of Doria's term. A USP graduate, Germann held a residency and master's in hospital administration and health, a PhD in hospital administration from USP's School of Public Health, and an MBA from Insead.
His career featured roles as superintendent director at the Israeli Institute for Consulting and Management of Hospital Albert Einstein and at the hospital itself, as well as deputy director at Sírio-Libanês. In 2015, he was named one of the most influential figures in healthcare by Healthcare Management magazine.
Former governor João Doria mourned the loss on social media: "I deeply regret the loss of Dr. José Henrique Germann, who was health secretary during our administration of the State Government of São Paulo. A respected doctor and high-quality public manager, Germann provided relevant services to public health in the state of São Paulo. My condolences to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of interacting with him".
The Cremesp (Regional Council of Medicine of the State of São Paulo) praised his contributions to public health and extended condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. His body was laid to rest on Sunday (11) at Gethsêmani Morumbi Cemetery in São Paulo.
