Surgeon General (Canada)

The Surgeon General is the professional head of the Canadian military health jurisdiction, the adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff on all matters related to health, and head of the Royal Canadian Medical Service. The Surgeon General is also the Commander of Canadian Forces Health Services Group, which fulfils all military health system functions from education and clinical services to research and public health. It consists of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, personnel from other branches of the armed forces, and civilians, with health professionals from over 45 occupations and specialties in over 125 units and detachments across Canada and abroad. As Director General Health Services, the Surgeon General is also the senior health services staff officer in the Department of National Defence. The Surgeon General is normally the only Canadian appointed to the Medical Household as Honorary Physician (QHP) or Honorary Surgeon (QHS) to Her Majesty the Queen.

Canada’s first Surgeon General was Colonel Darby Bergin, a prominent surgeon who was also Member of Parliament for Cornwall, president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, founder of the 1st Volunteer Militia Rifle Company of Cornwall, and first Commanding Officer of the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion of Infantry (now the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders). Selected by the Minister of Militia and Defence, the Honourable Sir Adolphe Caron, to organize the Northwest Field Force medical services during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, Colonel Darby’s own proposed appointment as medical Director General was upgraded by the Minister to Surgeon General.