Published 15:04 IST, February 26th 2021
Will turn pandemic around: US Surgeon General pick Vivek Murthy remembers lost loved ones
Murthy was in 2013 appointed as the Surgeon General of America after President Obama had nominated him. He also helped the US cope with the Zika virus in 2016
Advertisement
As America struggles to battle the COVID pandemic with the most number positive cases in the world, and with over 5 lakh confirmed deaths due to coronavirus, President Joe-Biden has nominated Indian-American physician Dr Vivek Murthy to serve as US' Surgeon General. Murthy has acknowledged that the people in the US are struggling due to the pandemic and 'a lot of Americans are experiencing fatigue from the virus'.
Dr Murthy was addressing the queries presented to him by the members of Senate and America, where he conveyed that at least half a million of the American populace has already succumbed to COVID-19 including seven members of his own family. He said that "If appointed the Surgeon General of America, my highest priority will be to help end this pandemic." The Senate committee has till now received 29 recommendations in favor of appointing Murthy to the position.
He pointed at global guidelines for combatting the virus and said that wearing masks is important and asserted that "The quicker we are in vaccinating people, the faster we can return back to the normal where we can once again meet each other." He referred to the beloved he lost due to the pandemic and said "I lost my Uncle who resided in Dallas recently due to the pandemic. My children are into remote-learning and they crave to get back to their school. There are many families who are struggling more than us and I want to make sure that I help people in this struggle."
As I take the stand this morning, I want to dedicate my confirmation hearing to my Uncle Raman who recently passed away from COVID-19. I am thinking of him and all of my family, friends, and mentors who have supported me over the years. Today is their day, too. pic.twitter.com/MspHuhRdvE
— Vivek Murthy (@vivek_murthy) February 25, 2021
Murthy was earlier in 2011 chosen by President Barrack Obama to be a part of the advisory group on prevention, health promotion, integrative and public health. Obama later nominated Murthy in 2013 to be the US' Surgeon-General. Murthy would hold the position for the second time if chosen as the doctor for America.
Senator Patty Murray was quoted by PTI as saying that Murthy is 'uniquely qualified to help American people and understand the challenges ahead'. She referred to the Zika virus that hit the US in 2016 and said "He established himself as one of the trusted voices of America on public health issues as he addressed many emergencies during Zika virus outbreak in 2016. He played a key role in highlighting how isolation, stress and mental health issues can be dealt with by the Americans, so the epidemic could be fought," Murray recalled as she explained the reason for Murthy's nomination.
15:04 IST, February 26th 2021