United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized for the second time in a month, the Pentagon announced, raising concerns about his health and prompting the transfer of his duties to Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
The Pentagon revealed on Sunday that Austin, 70, was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to “symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue.
As a result, he has transferred the functions and duties of his office to Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks. This latest hospitalization comes after Austin faced criticism for a lack of transparency regarding his health issues.
Austin, whose absences coincided with security crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, apologised earlier this month for not being more transparent about his health issues.
“I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis,” he told journalists on February 1.
BY – OPEOLUWA MICHEAL-AYOBAMI
Join our twitter community :