US Surgeon General asked to quit

Washington, April 22

Indian-American Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, appointed by former President Barack Obama, has stepped down after he was asked to resign by the Trump administration as part of a move to appoint new leaders in key posts.

He was replaced temporarily by Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, one of the first nurses to serve as Surgeon General. Murthy will continue to serve as a member of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service. He was confirmed as Surgeon General in December of 2014.

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He said in a Facebook post: “Two years and four months ago, I was honoured to be sworn in as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States. For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story.” — IANS