TL/DR –
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was recently discharged from hospital after a two-week stay due to complications from a secret prostate cancer surgery. The Pentagon chief was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22 for the surgery, but was readmitted due to an infection that led to ongoing leg pain. The lack of transparency about Austin’s health status has led to criticism from Congress members and sparked reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House about the transfer of decision-making authority, in case an official is incapacitated.
US Defense Secretary Austin Recovers from Prostate Cancer Surgery
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been discharged from the hospital after a two-week stay due to complications from secret prostate cancer surgery. He was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22, but was readmitted on January 1 due to an infection that caused leg pain, necessitating physical therapy.
Austin, 70, is expected to work from home during his recovery, as confirmed by the Pentagon. President Joe Biden and other high-ranking officials were not informed about Austin’s hospitalization until January 4, and the cancer diagnosis wasn’t revealed until January 9.
Despite Austin’s non-disclosure, Biden expressed continued confidence in him while acknowledging a lapse in judgement. However, this incident resulted in administration and Department of Defense reviews of the procedures for notifying the White House about significant health issues of top officials.
Austin’s secrecy faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Rep. Mike Rogers, the Alabama Republican who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, launched a formal inquiry into the incident. Calls for Austin’s resignation have been made, but the Democrat-led White House reassured that his position is secured.
During his stay at Walter Reed, Austin managed military strikes on Yemen’s Houthis, who attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea. He coordinated these actions with senior military leaders from his hospital bed, even participating in White House meetings over secure video to supervise the strikes.
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