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The Pentagon introduced on Sunday that Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had been taken to a navy hospital to be handled for “signs suggesting an emergent bladder situation,” and medical doctors on the hospital later mentioned it was not clear how lengthy he would stay there.
Mr. Austin was taken to Walter Reed Nationwide Navy Medical Heart in Bethesda, Md., at 2:20 p.m., a Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, mentioned within the navy’s preliminary assertion. He added that the deputy protection secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees had been notified, in addition to the White Home and members of Congress.
In a second assertion on Sunday night, Basic Ryder mentioned that Mr. Austin, 70, had “transferred the features and duties” of his workplace to the deputy protection secretary, Kathleen H. Hicks, at about 4:55 p.m.
One other assertion, issued late Sunday by two senior medical doctors at Walter Reed, mentioned that Mr. Austin had been admitted to the hospital’s crucial care unit that evening after a sequence of exams. The medical doctors, John Maddox and Gregory Chesnut, mentioned it was not clear how lengthy he could be hospitalized.
Final month, Mr. Austin spent a number of days at Walter Reed being handled for problems associated to a latest prostate most cancers surgical procedure. The medical doctors mentioned of their assertion on Sunday that his bladder situation “is just not anticipated to vary his anticipated full restoration” and that his most cancers prognosis remained wonderful.
The bulletins seemed to be geared toward exhibiting transparency round Mr. Austin’s medical situation and careworn the truth that a number of high officers throughout the U.S. authorities had been knowledgeable.
Mr. Austin got here below widespread criticism final month after initially retaining his hospital go to a secret from high administration officers, together with President Biden, the White Home nationwide safety adviser, the secretary of state and senior officers within the Pentagon, together with these instantly below him within the workplace.
Mr. Austin additionally had not knowledgeable the president that he had undergone the unique surgical procedure in December.
Lawmakers known as for the Pentagon to offer solutions on why so many officers have been saved at midnight. Mr. Biden mentioned on Jan. 12 that he nonetheless had confidence in Mr. Austin. However when the president was requested whether or not it had been a lapse in judgment for Mr. Austin to not have knowledgeable him that he had been out of fee, Mr. Biden mentioned “sure.”
Mr. Austin, a retired four-star Military common and former commander of the US Central Command, had served within the navy for greater than 40 years when he took the highest Pentagon job in 2021. All through his profession, he has sought to keep away from consideration and has tried to maintain many elements of his life out of the general public highlight.
Mike Ives contributed reporting.
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