Haldimand-Norfolk’s top doctor leaving post

Haldimand-Norfolk will soon need a new chief medical officer of health.

The health unit announced Friday that Dr. Shanker Nesathurai will leave his post May 21.

Health unit spokesperson Matt Terry confirmed Nesathurai was leaving of his own accord but did not provide any reason for his departure.

Nesathurai was appointed acting medical officer of health in Haldimand-Norfolk in October 2018.

At the time, he headed the physical medicine and rehabilitation department at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, was medical director of an outpatient rehabilitation clinic at HHS, and was on the faculty at McMaster and Harvard Medical School.

As the public face of Haldimand-Norfolk's pandemic response, Nesathurai was active in managing outbreaks at long-term-care homes and area farms. During the large outbreak at Scotlynn Group's Vittoria farm - which saw some 200 workers infected and led to the death of Juan Lopez Chaparro of Mexico - Nesathurai personally visited each bunkhouse to examine workers and answer their questions.

He enacted several controversial measures to control the virus, which included limiting bunkhouse occupancy for quarantining migrant workers and barring cottagers who live outside Haldimand-Norfolk from visiting their vacation properties.

I want to thank Dr. Nesathurai for his hard work and leadership through this incredibly difficult time," said Norfolk County Mayor Kristal Chopp, who chairs the board of health.

His insight and guidance have been extremely valuable to the leadership of both Haldimand and Norfolk counties, and we wish him all the best."

Nesathurai leaves his post $160,000 richer thanks to a top up" in overtime pay approved by the board of health after a closed session meeting on Feb. 25.

The province recently gave health units funding to compensate medical officers of health and other senior managers for extra time spent managing the pandemic.

In Haldimand-Norfolk, 10 managers split an additional $102,000 in provincial money.

Terry said the health unit has had discussions with the ministry of health, as well as adjacent health units, regarding support and next steps, and will update the community when details are available."

In a media release, Nesathurai credited his colleagues for their dedication.

I want to thank the public health staff who have worked tirelessly to keep the community safe," he said.

The community is lucky to be served by a group of people so committed to advancing the cause of public health."

This is the third major departure from the health unit announced in recent weeks.

General manager Marlene Miranda left her post last month to join the County of Brant, while Terry, who is director of communications for Norfolk County and the health unit, will soon head to Brock University to lead their communications team.

Nesathurai's announcement comes in the midst of Haldimand-Norfolk's vaccine rollout and on the heels of news that the region will enter the orange-restrict category of the province's COVID-19 response framework on Monday.

Haldimand-Norfolk had been in the less stringent yellow category, but recent COVID-19 data prompted the ministry of health to put tighter controls in place.

There were 37 active cases in the region on Friday.

J.P. Antonacci's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows him to report on stories about the regions of Haldimand and Norfolk.