(Washington) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Monday after spending two weeks there for complications following surgery for prostate cancer that he did not had not been revealed for weeks to senior executives and White House staff.
Mr Austin, aged 70, is now expected to work from home while he recovers. His doctors said he made good progress throughout his hospital stay and was regaining his strength. They said in a statement that the cancer was treated early and his prognosis was excellent.
Mr. Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Hospital in Washington on December 22, where he underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer detected earlier that month during a prostate screening. routine. But a week later he developed an infection and was admitted on 1er January in intensive care.
Doctors said he remained in hospital due to persistent leg pain resulting from the infection and was therefore undergoing physiotherapy.
President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not informed of his hospitalization until January 4, and Mr. Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until the 9th. Mr. Biden has since maintained that this omission was an error of judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.
During Mr. Austin’s stay in the hospital, the United States launched a series of military strikes late last week against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to to their operations against commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Working from his hospital bed, Mr. Austin was in contact with senior military officials, including General Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, and with the White House to assess, order and ultimately view the strikes, through secure video.
The lack of transparency regarding his hospitalization, however, triggered a review by the administration and the Defense Department of procedures for notifying the White House and other officials, if a Cabinet member were to transfer decision-making powers to a deputy. And the White House chief of staff has ordered ministers to inform his office if they cannot perform their duties.
It remains unclear when Mr. Austin will return to his office at the Pentagon and how his cancer treatment will affect his work, travel and other upcoming public engagements. During his recovery, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assumed some of his daily duties.