WECHU hopes to announce new chief medical officer of health 'in the very near future'

After a year-and-a-half without, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) says it’s narrowing in on hiring a permanent chief medical officer of health.

Dr. Shanker Nesathurai stepped into the role on an interim basis in September 2021, after Dr. Wajid Ahmed resigned to become the associate medical officer of health for the province.

“We’re moving along, and I’m very hopeful that we’re going to have some news in the near future,” says Fabio Costante, chair of the WECHU board.

“In the very near future.”

Costante says the hiring process is being handled by a third party consultant who has reached out to a pool of candidates.

A shortlist, he says, has been narrowed down to a single candidate who “checked all the boxes.”

“We wanted to interview that individual and do our due diligence,” says Costante.

“That process has been completed and now we’re looking at next steps.”

Those steps include obtaining Ministry of Health approval and final board approval.

No hints were offered as to who the candidate in mind might be — but it’s unlikely to be Dr. Nesathurai who last year said he wasn’t after the job.

At Thursday’s meeting of the WECHU board, Dr. Nesathurai told CTV News he said his mind hasn’t changed.

“I’m happy with the current situation at the health unit,” he says.

It’s not clear how soon official word might come from the health unit on the hiring process.