Government
Pentagon: US Secretary of Defense still in hospital
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is being treated in hospital, according to the Pentagon. (archive image) photo
© Boris Roessler/dpa
Lloyd Austin was admitted to a hospital on New Year’s Day. However, the ministry only made the stay public days later. The medical reason remains uncertain.
Austin continues to have symptoms, but his prognosis is good. The Pentagon continued to provide no information about the medical reason for Austin’s hospitalization.
Hospitalization made public late
The hospital stay caused a lot of excitement because the ministry initially did not make it public. The Pentagon chief had already been admitted to a clinic on New Year’s Day due to complications following a previous procedure – but the ministry only announced this publicly last Friday. US President Joe Biden was reportedly not initially informed. Austin apologized for the information policy on Saturday evening.
The Pentagon not only informed about Austin’s hospital stay very late, but also held back on details. The ministry did not provide any information about what type of procedure had caused complications or what treatment was necessary. Several US media outlets, including NBC, reported, citing government circles, that Austin’s deputy Kathleen Hicks stepped in from vacation in Puerto Rico and took on some tasks from there.