MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina's Health Minister Russo resigns for “personal matters”

Russo will be replaced by Mario Lugones

Mario Russo turned in his resignation as Health Minister of Argentina Thursday citing ”strictly personal matters, it was announced in Buenos Aires through a statement from the President's Office. He will be replaced by fellow physician Mario Lugones.

The newly-chosen official will bring “to the ministry his extensive experience in the field of health, having been in charge of the Sanatorio Güemes and having been founder and president of the Güemes Foundation, focused on medical teaching and clinical research,” the document read.

”Throughout his career, he was head of clinic of the Coronary Unit of Sanatorio Güemes, as well as a cardiologist at Praxis Médica, Fundación Favaloro, Sanatorio Malvinas, among others. He also served as director of the Medical Institute of Social Security and Technological Evaluation (IMSSET) of the [University of Buenos Aires] UBA School of Medicine and was director of the Master's Degree in Health Systems Management at the UBA,“ it went on.

Lugones is the father of Rodrigo Lugones, a political consultant and a close friend of Presidential Advisor Santiago Caputo.

The Argentine Executive also praised Russo's ”commitment and dedication.”

Argentina's health authorities are facing the possible outbreak of dengue fever in the upcoming summer season, among other challenges.