After months of searching, Chatham-Kent has a new acting Medical Officer of Health.
The Chatham-Kent Board of Health has announced that Dr. Shanker Nesathurai has been hired for the position and will serve in an “acting” role until his appointment is given approval from the Minister of Health.
Dr. Nesathurai said he is determined to tackle the public health issues facing the municipality, which he believes were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There were 45 drug-related deaths in Chatham-Kent last year,” Dr. Nesathurai said in a news release. “45 people taken from their friends and families. Of these deaths, 36 were related to opioid poisonings. This is a challenge that we must work on collaboratively and focus on strengthening our community response.”
Tuesday marked Dr. Nesathurai’s first official day on the job.
A specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Nesathurai holds a Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University and a Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA.
He previously served as the medical officer of health for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit from 2018-2021, and most recently, as the acting medical officer of health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
Dr. Nesathurai replaces former Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby. Colby retired from the position last year, but returned to the role in the fall of 2022 following the abrupt resignation of Dr. Mario Kangeswaren a few months after he took the job.
