PTI 
 
Washington, Jan 6: Sanjay Gupta, an Indian-American who works as CNN's chief medical correspondent, has been approached by president-elect Barack Obama to become the surgeon general of the US, reports said.

Gupta, who is a practicing neurosurgeon and a faculty at the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, had travelled to Chicago in November to meet Obama, CNN said quoting sources.

Gupta, the Atlanta-based media celebrity, is understood to have made up his mind to take on this job, which requires Senate confirmation.

However, no official announcement has been made yet. Both the Obama transition team and Gupta declined to comment.

In a statement CNN said, "Since first learning that Dr Gupta was under consideration for the surgeon general position, CNN has made sure that his on-air reporting has been on health and wellness matters and not on health-care policy or any matters involving the new administration."

If appointed, Gupta as the surgeon general would be responsible for informing Americans how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.

By accepting the post, Gupta would have to give up his lucrative medical and journalistic career. "But he is expected to accept this position within days," The Washington Post reported.

Gupta, a popular face on the US television networks, has been with the CNN since 2001. Besides routinely reporting in health related issues, Gupta has covered several breaking stories around the world.

Gupta, who covered the tsunami in Sri Lanka, reported from Iraq and Kuwait in 2003 as an embedded reporter, during which he performed five brain surgeries, CNN said.

Gupta was a White House fellow in 1997 and a special advisor to the then first-lady, Hillary Clinton, who now has been nominated by Obama as his secretary of state.