WINDSOR, ONT. -- Two Windsor health officials are standing their ground after heated email exchanges about COVID-19 testing in long-term care and retirement homes.
The emails between Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj and Windsor-Essex medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed were obtained through a Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
About 65 pages of emails from April 9 until May 20 began with Musyj asking to start testing residents in LTC homes soon.
"A lot of these homes do not have private rooms, they have semis or wards," said Musyj, speaking on AM800's the Morning Drive. "These homes did not know where to cohort or congregate patients because they didn't know who was positive and who was negative."
Musyj explained the homes wanted to know how many of their residents were impacted.
Ahmed was concerned about allowing testing without provincial authority and a possible lack of swabs.
On Friday, Ahmed didn’t comment of the specifics of the emails, but says he is acting with the best interest of the community.
“My patient is my community and I know how to assess the health and well-being of my community which we do using different techniques, different data analysis,” says Ahmed.
In one email, Ahmed told Musyj to "back off" and that he was overstepping his boundaries.
Musyj says that was not the case.
"No not at all, no way, we are saving lives. These are vulnerable people who are dying," Musyj says. " Never overstep your bounds with vulnerable people dying," he ways. "We have to do what we have to do. Standing around with our hands in our pockets and watching people die is not the result here."
In the emails, he said the swabs were available and there was no need to cancel planned testing.
The email chains also included several other officials, including EMS Chief Bruce Krauter and WRH vice president of critical care Karen Riddell.
Late Friday, health unit chair of the board Gary McNamara issued a news release, about his support of the health unit and its decisions.
While not addressing the email controversy, directly, McNamara says the board members “stand behind the strong and unwavering leadership of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer, Theresa Marentette and Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Wajid Ahmed.”
McNamara adds “under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, local boards of health have the responsibility for ensuring the delivery of public health programs and services and the prevention of the spread of disease in our communities. Together with the support of the senior leadership and the over 200 public health staff, the WECHU has continued to put the health and well-being of our community at the forefront of every action and decision.”
