PENTAGON Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was still in the hospital and that he is currently working from there since Friday.
The report comes after Lloyd was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center on New Year’s Day.
To recall, last week, the Pentagon chief released a statement to thank the amazing staff at the said hospital for the care he has received and is looking forward to returning to Pentagon.
The 70-year-old Pentagon chief also acknowledged the media concerns about transparency and that he commits to doing better, and that he takes full responsibility for his decisions about the disclosure.
Details about Austin’s condition and whereabouts were not reported until Friday and according to reports, even President Joe Biden and his administration were unaware of his hospitalization.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was not aware of Austin’s medical issue, and is very much looking forward to seeing him fully recovered.
Meanwhile, Democrat and Republican lawmakers released a joint statement, calling for the Pentagon to be transparent about the Pentagon chief’s health.
“Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the secretary’s current health status is, how and when the delegation of the secretary’s responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the president and congress,” statement of Democrat and Republican lawmakers on the House of Armed Services Committee.
Austin was hospitalized after experiencing severe pain following an elective medical procedure on December 22 of last year.
The Pentagon did not reveal anything about Austin’s medical condition but some reports say that the defense chief spent four days in intensive care.
Meanwhile, Pentagon’s spokesperson assured that that the official is “recovering well” as he continues to work from the hospital.
It can be noted that the sudden report about Austin’s whereabouts caused concern among the public as the breach in the chain of command could have affected national security, as Austin ranks just below Biden when it comes to the chain of command of the U.S. military.
