Lloyd Austin US Secretary of Defense has transfered his duties to his deputy after being admitted to a critical care ward with a bladder issue.
Austin was “admitted into the critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for supportive care and close monitoring,” the Pentagon said in a later statement, citing his doctors.
He was sent to the hospital on Sunday afternoon.
“At this time, it is not clear how long Secretary Austin will remain hospitalized,” said the latest statement, attributed to Dr John Maddox and Dr Gregory Chesnut of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
“The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. His cancer prognosis remains excellent.”
Austin, 70, a retired four-star general, had kept previous hospital stays secret and had not immediately informed US President Joe Biden of his cancer diagnosis, sparking criticism as the United States faces crises in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Austin effectively vanished from the public eye for treatment for prostate cancer in December and again in January after suffering complications from the procedure.
