Indian-American Dr. Vivek Murthy takes oath as US Surgeon General

Indian-American Dr. Vivek Murthy was sworn-in as the US Surgeon General on 23 April 2015.
He was administered oath by US Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremony held at Fort Myer in Virginia.
Vivek Murthy is 19th US Surgeon General and youngest-ever (37-year-old) to become in- charge of the country’s public health. With this appointment he is also the highest ranking Indian-American in the Obama Administration.

About Dr. Vivek Murthy

• Born: July 10, 1977 in Huddersfield, United Kingdom.
• Education: He holds BA from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale School of Management, and an MD from Yale School of Medicine.
• Career: Prior to this appointment Dr Murthy was physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a Hospitalist Attending Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
• In 2009, he founded Doctors for America, a group of 15,000 physicians and medical students supporting comprehensive health reforms of US President Barack Obama.

It should be noted that U.S. surgeon general does not set any government policy but is an advocate for the people’s health. He is nominated by US President and confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate and has term of four-years.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2015