Sheela Basrur

Sheela Basrur was the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Health in the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. She resigned from the position on 6 December 2006, citing cancer.. She was replaced by interim head Dr. George Pasut.

Appointed in 2004, she was previously the first Medical Officer of Health for the amalgamated City of Toronto. She gained public exposure during the 2003 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) breakout in Toronto (appearing on CNN ). Before her stint in Toronto she was Medical Officer of Health for the East York Health Unit.

A graduate of the University of Toronto with a Masters of Health Science degree, Basrur was a general practitioner in Guelph, Ontario, a specialist in Community Medicine. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto.