Emails reveal pandemic showdown between medical officer of health and hospital CEO

Emails obtained by CBC News through the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act show that Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj was begging Dr. Wajid Ahmed to authorize EMS paramedics to do COVID-19 testing at nursing homes and seniors residences as cases at the homes began to ramp up.

The 65 pages of emails first obtained by The Windsor Star contain heated exchanges between Musyj and Ahmed between March 1and May 25.

The exchangesreveal a frustrated Musyj begging Ahmed to allow Essex-Windsor EMS paramedics to conduct COVID-19 testing in nursing homes and seniors residences. This after outbreaks had been reported in the homes and deaths had occurred.

Musyj at one point had swabs that he wanted to give to the health unit to pass ontoparamedics to do the tests.

But Ahmed was hesitantto authorize it.

In heated exchanges between the two men, they disagreed over who should be tested and who should do the testing.There was a thread of emails that showed that testing was scheduled, cancelled and re-scheduled.

Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter was copied on the emails andweighed in, pointing out that colleagues in other cities were doing the testing and he couldn't understand why his paramedics weren't.

Krauter said his paramedics were trained and ready to do the testing.

Ahmed's point of view was that he was focusing on outbreaks and not swabbing asymptomatic people.

He wrote that the best thing was for staff to wear PPE and thatthe homes can test themselves.

In aMay 1 email, Musyj writes about swabs sent to long term carehomes.

"I truly do Not want to play this game. People's lives are at risk," he writes

In another email, Ahmed fires back in capital letterswith"THIS IS NOT A GAME AND PLEASE DO NOT REMIND ME THAT PEOPLE[S] LIVES ARE AT RISK."

There are times when Ahmed also tells Musyj that his remarks are inappropriate and that he reports to his board and not to Musyj.

CBCNews reached out to both Dr. Ahmed and Musyjbut neither would provide comment. Bruce Krauter was also unavailable for comment as well.

The email exchange can be viewed in the document below: