The Chatham-Kent Board of Health announced that Dr. Shanker Nesathurai will be serving as the Acting Medical Officer of Health.
As per the Health Protection and Promotion Act, Dr. Nesathurai will be the Acting Medical Officer of Health until official approval is received from the Minister of Health.
Dr. Nesathurai received his Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University in Hamilton, and his Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA. He served as the Medical Officer of Health for Haldimand-Norfolk from 2018-2021, and most recently as the Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Windsor- Essex County Health Unit.
On his first day on the job, Dr. Nesathurai began to tackle the public health issues that Chatham-Kent faces, some of which he believes were magnified due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There were 45 drug-related deaths in Chatham-Kent last year,” said Dr. Nesathurai, “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.”
Optimal Health and High Quality of Life for Chatham-Kent residents continue to be a priority for the doctor. He also wants to focus on programs and services that promote and protect the health and well-being of children.
