The US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, recently underwent hospital treatment for a bladder issue for the second time in just over three months, the Pentagon announced. Despite this setback, Austin quickly resumed his normal duties after a scheduled, elective, minimally invasive procedure at Walter Reed military medical center.
During his treatment, Austin delegated his responsibilities to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, who acted as the defense secretary in his absence. The Pentagon clarified that Austin’s bladder issue was not related to his cancer diagnosis and had no impact on his positive prognosis. The incident raised concerns following a previous undisclosed hospitalization in February due to complications from prostate cancer surgery.
Despite calls for his resignation, Austin maintained his position after acknowledging the lack of transparency in his health disclosures. The White House criticized the lack of communication but opted to keep Austin in his role. This incident prompted a review of procedures to ensure better transparency moving forward.