Chair Ung Q&A: Chokshi on board accountability to the public
Chokshi states the Board of Health is ultimately accountable to the public, noting its six-year terms are designed to insulate decisions from political currents so scientific merit and public responsiveness guide outcomes.
As the Board of Health member, to whom do you believe you're ultimately accountable?
The mayor, the commissioner of health, or the public, and why?
Certainly.
The Board of Health is ultimately accountable to the public.
I feel a great deal of humility with respect to the role of the Board of Health because it is such a historic institution.
For almost 200 years, it has served the public.
And the board, as I'm sure you know, Chair, is specifically designed with its six-year terms to be
somewhat insulated from the political currents of the day so that responsiveness to the public and scientific merit are the key considerations by which its decisions are made.