On his last day as New York City health commissioner, Ashwin Vasan spoke on “Mornings On 1” about his tenure and discussed his decision to step down amid ongoing turmoil at City Hall.

Vasan addressed speculation about the timing of his departure, especially given that Mayor Eric Adams is dealing with a federal indictment and turmoil within his administration.

“100% no, this is my decision,” Vasan said when asked if he had been pressured to resign by the mayor or governor. “I’ve actually been thinking about this for some time. I’ve been talking about it with Anne Williams-Isom, our fantastic deputy mayor of Health and Human Services.”

Vasan, who began his role in March 2022, initially announced plans to step down in January but moved up his departure, citing personal reasons, which he reiterated during Friday’s interview.

“I have three small kids. I haven’t seen them much over the last three years,” Vasan said. “Their school needs, their life needs, are changing, and I’m just not there for them. So it’s time. I’m feeling a very strong goal to go home.”

Adams was indicted last month on five counts, accused of accepting gifts and illegal donations in exchange for fast-tracking fire safety approvals for the Turkish consulate. Several of his close associates are also under investigation, with some resigning or having their homes searched.

Despite the challenges within the administration, Vasan remained enthusiastic about his work and the Health Department’s future, expressing a desire to return to public service one day.

“I love my work. This has been the privilege of my life to be the city’s doctor,” Vasan said. “To show up every day, to try to make change and improve lives, is something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I hope I’ll have a chance to serve again because I love public service.”

Vasan said the Health Department is not involved in any ongoing investigations at City Hall.

“This is not a part of me, a part of anything we do at the Health Department. We have no connection to any of this,” he said. “Frankly, I’ve woken up every day to focus on health. All my conversations with everyone at City Hall are about health.”

While Vasan emphasized that the current issues facing City Hall are “not my concern,” he acknowledged they should be a concern for all New Yorkers.

“I see what's going on. I'm not blind, and ultimately, I want a successful city, because a successful city means we have successful people, and we’re helping to make their lives better,” he said. “For that to happen, we need successful leadership, and anything that gets in the way of that is not good for us.”

Looking ahead, Vasan urged his successor to focus on several initiatives that remain unfinished, including reducing healthcare costs, addressing medical debt for low-income families and increasing abortion access for women across the country.

“Over 5,000 women have called our abortion access line, up 25% from restrictive states,” Vasan said. “Thousands of women are coming to New York to get help.”

Vasan also wants the next health commissioner to continue fighting against climate change and its impact on New Yorkers' health.

“This is the beginning of a newfound reckoning of the impacts of extreme heat, flooding, air quality and mosquito-borne diseases,” he said. “Those are the four principal areas where climate is impacting health. So, we have so much work to do.”

Earlier this week, Adams announced that Michelle Morse, the city’s chief medical officer and deputy commissioner for the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness, will serve as interim health commissioner while the city conducts a national search for Vasan’s permanent replacement.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to better reflect Vasan’s job responsibilities.