At least partially revealed the mystery surrounding the hospitalization of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The Pentagon chief suffers from prostate cancer and his admission since January 1st, which he even kept secret from President Joe Biden himself for three days, was due to an infection following a surgical procedure related to this disease and was confirmed on January 22nd. According to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized. However, the White House has acknowledged that Biden has not yet learned the nature of his secretary's illness.
“No one in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had cancer until this Tuesday,” presidential spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre admitted in her daily press briefing minutes after Walter Reed’s announcement. The Pentagon initially pointed out that the first operation was optional and not medically necessary.
The military hospital's notification came nearly a week after the Pentagon and Austin himself faced widespread criticism over the delay in communicating about the health of the soldier, who ranks second in the U.S. military chain of command, behind only Biden himself The four-star general was admitted on Monday the 1st, he did not notify the White House until three days later. The first public statement regarding the hospitalization was released on Friday the 5th. His deputy, Kathleen Hicks in Puerto Rico, took over some of his duties, but was also unaware of the situation from the start.
However, the White House insists on maintaining its trust in the military man, a man with an introverted personality who does not like to reveal details of his private life. President Biden plans to keep Austin at the head of the Pentagon at least until the end of his first term next January, Jean-Pierre assured.
“Obviously, prostate cancer and its treatment are deeply personal,” said Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder, trying to justify his failure to communicate about his boss's health.
Walter Reed's medical report reports an improvement in Austin's health. “Your infection has been cured. “He continues to make progress and we expect a full recovery, although it may be a slow process,” the center said in a statement distributed by the Pentagon.
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According to the hospital, the cancer treatment he is undergoing caused the general to experience severe stomach, hip and leg pain. He was admitted to the intensive care unit on January 2 after being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. “A closer examination revealed a buildup of abdominal fluid that was complicating the function of his small intestine. This led to a buildup of his intestinal contents, which was treated by putting a tube through his nose to empty his stomach,” explain Trauma Director John Maddox and Walter Reed Prostate Disease Research Center Director Gregory Chesnut, signatories Explanation .
The Biden administration has announced a review of communication protocols for illness cases. Although government officials are, in the words of National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, “expected” to report their location, the presidential office so far only conducts a cursory check each morning, limited to checking the city or country where they are condition.
The Pentagon has also announced a review of its own procedures that will last 30 days. According to Ryder, this research will help determine what can be improved in communications and the best time to inform the public. “Of course we could have done better and we will continue to do better in the future. “We have learned our lesson,” emphasized the spokesman.
In Austin's case, the lack of transparency was even more striking since his responsibilities as second in the chain of command require him to be available at all times in the event of a threat to national security. And the United States is closely monitoring events in Ukraine, where Russia has stepped up its offensive, and in the Middle East, where the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza threatens to spread throughout the region.
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