INDIAN ORIGIN BECOMES AMERICA'S EVER SURGEON GENERAL

Indian-origin Vivek Murthy becomes America's youngest ever surgeon general

He will hit the ground running as the country's top doctor, said S President Barack Obama as he lauded the the Senate confirmation of 37-year-old Vivek Murthy as the youngest ever Surgeon General.

"I applaud the Senate for confirming Vivek Murthy to be our country's next Surgeon General. As 'America's Doctor,' Vivek will hit the ground running to make sure every American has the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe," Obama said in a statement.

Murthy has been nominated by 51 to 43 votes by the senate, reported the PTI. He is the first ever Indian-American to occupy the post.

The President said that Murthy would bring his lifetime of experience to promote public health and bear on priorities ranging from stopping new diseases to helping our kids grow up healthy and strong. He also said that Murthy would help build on the progress made to combat Ebola.

"Combined with the crucial support for fighting Ebola included in the bill to fund our government next year, Vivek's confirmation makes us better positioned to save lives around the world and protect the American people here at home," Obama said.

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Praising Murthty, Senate majority Leader Harry Reid said,"He will make a fine Surgeon General and will be the first Indian-American in this position. As a physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, he served his community while also educating the next generation of doctors as an instructor at Harvard Medical School."

The Indian-American community, a number of top lawmakers and anti-gun lobbying groups celebrated the decision and said that this was long-awaited and has resulted in defeat of the strong pro-gun lobby group represented by the powerful National Rifle Association.

"His (Dr Murthy's) confirmation is an epic victory for all Americans," said M R Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora, who had led the community's effort in support of Murthy at the Capitol Hill along with other Indian-Americans and the influential Asian American Physician of Indian Origin (AAPI).

"This process will be a case study on how Indian Americans came together to stand up for someone in our community who deserved to be confirmed months ago. It demonstrates our growing strength and influence when we come together for a common objective," he said. "I hope that this victory will be a catalyst for our community to become more engaged with public issues in the future," he added.

Eminent Indian-American Shekar Narasimhan congratulated the Indian Americans community on the occasion. He, who along with a number of other community leaders, were present in the Senate Gallery during the voting.

"I'm thrilled the Senate has confirmed Dr Vivek Murthy as our next surgeon general," said Congressman Ami Bera, who is the only Indian-American lawmaker in the current Congress.

"As a practising physician and instructor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a champion of innovation in medicine, and a leader in the medical community, Dr Murthy is an excellent choice for this role and his appointment is historic for the Indian-American community. As a doctor myself, I also know that the American people will benefit from having a trusted physician leader to help them navigate the complex medical issues we face today," Bera said.