Meet the new medical officer of health in Sudbury
Public Health Sudbury & Districts has a new medical officer of health and chief executive officer.
Dr. Mustafa Hirji was born in Edmonton and comes with eight years of experience at Niagara Public Health.
Hirji said his No. 1 priority as the health unit’s new lead is talking to people.
“Learn the organization, meet the people and really understand what is really good about here and where are the opportunities, where we have the most opportunity to improve things,” he said.
“So I don’t really want to jump too much into deciding … until I have had the opportunity to learn some of that.”
Hirji said he is committed to ensuring programming remains locally responsive.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts has a new medical officer of health and chief executive officer. Dr. Mustafa Hirji was born in Edmonton and comes with eight years of experience at Niagara Public Health. (Alana Everson/CTV News)
“Health inequity and health equity I would say the positive framing of that is really actually one of my true passions,” he said.
“I think that when we look at health outcomes it really tracks with what we call the social determinants of health. The conditions in which people live, housing, their income their education status really just even the infrastructure around them.”
Hirji said he plans to meet with Indigenous communities with the goal of improving health and health equity throughout the service area.
“I think (that’s) one of the key partners that we absolutely want to be meeting with,” he said.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“I know as Public Health Sudbury & Districts has been doing a lot of work in recent years to really take responsibility for our role in reconciliation with Indigenous populations and so that is an absolute priority of mine.”
Hirji said he plans to get out into the community to gain insights into the unique local contexts, community needs and public health opportunities and challenges.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.