Vivek Murthy becomes first ever Indian-origin doctor to be named US Surgeon General

Dr. Vivek Murthy has become the first ever Indian-origin doctor to be named as the Surgeon General of the United States as the Senate announced its decision on Monday night, putting an end to a year of uncertainty over his nomination.

The Senate voted 51 to 43 to pick the 37-year-old for the top position. The 37-year-old is the youngest doctor to occupy the post, reported the CNN.

President Barack Obama had tapped the founder of the pro-Obamacare group Doctors for America for the position in November 2013. The final decision was held up after the gun lobby pointed to a letter signed by Murthy that called for new gun control measures in the aftermath of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings, and promised to score a vote in Murthy's favor against senators in its ratings of how strongly lawmakers support gun rights.

Obama welcomed the decision by saying that Murthy will help the U.S. fight the threat posed by Ebola.