Austin transferred to the ICU; The US Secretary of Defense handed over his powers.
According to Sputnik, the Pentagon announced this morning that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was admitted to the Walter Reed Military Hospital due to a kidney problem, and now he has been transferred to the ICU.
The Pentagon has announced that Austin has been re-hospitalized for further examination of the kidney problem. This institution announced shortly after that the US Secretary of Defense has transferred his responsibilities and powers to Kathleen Hicks, his deputy.
The Pentagon statement noted that the exact time Austin will be released from the hospital is not yet known.
A part of this statement says: The current complication is not expected to change his full recovery process. The prognosis for his cancer treatment is still excellent.
The US Department of Defense announced in mid-December that Austin was hospitalized after complications from “routine medical procedures” and is now recovering. However, a few days later, the medical team treating the US Secretary of Defense officially announced in a statement that Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The concealment of Austin’s disease even from the President of the United States brought widespread criticism and reactions.