According to the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin is treating a bladder problem; he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January
The United States Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin, was admitted on Sunday (11.Feb.2024) to an intensive care unit to care for a “bladder problem”. The information was released by the Pentagon, the body that coordinates the country's defense.
Austin, 70, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2024. It has not been said how long Austin will be out for his health. During his absence, the Pentagon said that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will take over Austin's duties. Read the complete of the statement (PDF – 38 kB).
This is the 2nd time in 2 months that Austin has stepped away from his duties at the Department of Defense. In January of this year, Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for “complications after a recent elective medical procedure”.
Unlike the announcement made by the Pentagon on Sunday (Feb 11), Austin's hospitalization at the beginning of the year was kept confidential and caused discomfort in the government. Not even the president Joe Biden knew the whereabouts of the secretary, who was away from the secretariat for 4 days.
Austin himself spoke out publicly to say that he could have communicated better about the episode. “I recognize that I could have done a better job ensuring the public was properly informed. I commit to doing better”Austin said in a statement.
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