Dr Vejanand Indurjith Ramlakan

Dr Vejanand Indurjith Ramlakan was appointed Surgeon-General in August 2005. He obtained his basic medical degree in 1980 from the University of Natal and followed this up with a post-graduate diploma in Health Services Management from the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims in Copenhagen. Dr Vejanand Indurjith Ramlakan also holds qualifications in defence management from the University of the Witwatersrand and in Financial Management from the University of South Africa.

His professional career includes appointments as director: Planning in the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS), five years as inspector-general of the SAMHS, a further five years as inspectorgeneral of Defence, chief director: Strategic Planning in the South African National Defence Force and as surgeon-general of SAMHS. Dr Ramlakan initiated a project aimed at recording the history of the South African military health service.

He is a Knight of the Order of St John.