The Government of British Columbia has appointed Dr. Jatinder (Taj) Baidwan to the position of chief coroner with the B.C. Coroners Service.
As chief coroner, Baidwan aims to enhance the role of the B.C. Coroners Service to provids data to better informs policy makers in their decisions, preventing future deaths and improving safety for people throughout B.C.
The chief coroner is appointed under the Coroners Act by the lieutenant-governor in council upon the recommendation of the solicitor general. The position is judicially independent with respect to statutory functions.
A backgrounder follows.
Backgrounders
A fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (UK) and accredited by the Canadian College of Family Physicians, Dr. Jatinder (Taj) Baidwan is a seasoned health-system leader, physician and educator, with executive experience in the Canadian and international health sector. He has been with the B.C. Coroners Service since 2017, serving as chief medical officer.
Prior to joining the B.C. Coroners Service, Baidwan was the executive vice-president and chief medical officer for Vancouver Island Health Authority, now known as Island Health. During that time, he co-managed operations and was responsible for delivering comprehensive health care to the nearly one million people who call Vancouver Island home.
In his seven-and-a-half-year tenure as the chief medical officer for the B.C. Coroners Service, Baidwan has helped lead work to realign the operations of the coroner’s service and created a comprehensive postmortem diagnostic services network throughout the province. He served as the organizational lead for the investigation of the deaths and recommendations that came from the 2021 heat dome, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic in response to its increased death toll.
https://news.gov.bc.ca/31454
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