Sheela Basrur facts for kids

Sheela Basrur, OOnt (October 17, 1956 – June 2, 2008) was a Canadian doctor. She was a top health official in Ontario, serving as the Chief Medical Officer of Health. She also worked as an Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Health. Sheela Basrur stepped down from these important jobs in late 2006. She did this to get treatment for cancer.

Early Life and Education

Sheela Basrur was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1956. Her parents were immigrants from India. Her mother, Parvathi Basrur, was a professor who studied animal genetics. Her father, Vasanth Basrur, was a doctor who treated cancer with radiation.

Sheela grew up in Guelph, a city where there were not many visible minority families at the time. She went to the University of Western Ontario. In 1979, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Then, in 1982, she became a doctor after studying at the University of Toronto.

After medical school, Dr. Basrur worked as a family doctor in Guelph for one year. She then spent a year traveling in India and Nepal. During this trip, she became very interested in public health. Public health is about keeping whole communities healthy.

When she came back to Canada, she continued her studies. In 1987, she earned a Master of Health Science degree. She focused on community health and epidemiology at the University of Toronto. Epidemiology is the study of how diseases spread and how to control them. After this, she became a specialist in community medicine. She also taught as an assistant professor at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Basrur lived in Scarborough for a time. Later, she moved to Kitchener, Ontario. She was getting treatment for cancer there. She passed away on June 2, 2008.

Working for Public Health

Dr. Basrur became the Medical Officer of Health for the East York Health Unit. This meant she was in charge of public health for that area. In 1998, East York became part of the city of Toronto. Sheela Basrur then became the first Medical Officer of Health for the new, bigger city of Toronto.

Leading During SARS

She was highly praised for her work during the 2003 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. SARS was a serious illness that spread quickly. Dr. Basrur appeared on many TV news channels, like CNN. She helped explain the situation to people around the world. She also wrote an important article about SARS for a health journal. In the article, she talked about how local health teams dealt with the outbreak.

After the SARS report came out, she said something important. She believed that public health needed to use modern tools. She said, "We have to move away from pencil, paper and flip charts." This meant using better technology to track diseases.

Other Achievements

Dr. Basrur had many other important achievements. She started Canada's first city program that made restaurants show their health inspection results. These results were posted in their windows. This helped people know if a restaurant was clean and safe.

After the 9/11 attacks, she helped create plans for Toronto. These plans were about how to prepare for possible bioterrorism. She also led a citywide ban on cigarette smoking in 2004. This ban helped make public places healthier for everyone.

In 2004, Dr. Basrur was given an even bigger role. She became the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the entire province of Ontario. She also became an Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. She stayed in these roles until December 6, 2006. She resigned to focus on her cancer treatment.

Honours and Legacy

Sheela Basrur received many awards and honours during her career. In 2007, she was given a lifetime membership in the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA). She also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University. This is a special degree given to people who have made great contributions.

A special nursing fellowship was created in her name. It helps nurses who want to specialize in cancer care. The OPHA also created an award in her honour. This award recognizes people who work for social justice in public health.

On October 17, 2008, a big event was held at the University of Toronto. Friends, family, and leaders from the city, province, and country celebrated Dr. Basrur's life. They remembered all the good things she did.

In 2008, a new health agency was formed in Ontario. It was called the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. It was announced that its main office would be named the Sheela Basrur Centre. This was a lasting tribute to her work.

In April 2008, Dr. Basrur was inducted into the Order of Ontario. This is one of the highest honours in the province. She received this award for her amazing public service. Her award ceremony happened earlier than usual because she was battling cancer.