Indian- American Vivek Murthy took oath as the 19th US Surgeon General. The oath was administered by Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremony in the US. He took the oath on the Gita.
Vivek Muthy became the youngest-ever in-charge of the country’s public health. As the US Surgeon General, Murthy carries the rank of Vice Admiral.
He succeeded Boris D. Lushniak who had served as Surgeon General from 2013 to December 2014.
In addition to practicing internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he in 2009 started a non-profit organisation, Doctors for America, composed of thousands doctors supporting President Barack Obama’s healthcare initiatives.
What is The Surgeon General?
- The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States.
- The U.S. Surgeon General is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. The Surgeon General serves a four-year term of office.
