Donald Trump nominates Dr Jerome Adams in place of Dr Vivek Murthy as US Surgeon General

Washington: President Donald Trump has nominated Dr Jerome Adams as the next US surgeon general to succeed Indian-American Dr Vivek Murthy, who was dismissed in April by the Trump administration.

The White House said that Trump nominated Indiana's health commissioner Adamsto, a needle exchange advocate who helped lead the state's battle against an HIV epidemic, to serve as America's chief doctor.

Adams is an anesthesiologist who has been outspoken against the opioid epidemic. He began serving as the Indiana State Health Commissioner in 2014 under then-governor Mike Pence and was in that role during the 2015 outbreak of HIV that spread among users of a prescription opioid, Opana.

Adams would replace Dr Murthy, who was dismissed by President Trump earlier this year. Murthy was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2014.

Murthy was the first Indian-American to be appointed to the prestigious post.

Adams must be confirmed by the Senate. Currently, Sylvia Trent-Adams, a nurse and a rear admiral in the US Public Health Service, is acting surgeon general.