WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains hospitalized and is in good condition, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, adding that it still does not have a specific date for his release.
Austin’s hospitalization for complications following prostate cancer surgery was not disclosed to the public, the White House or Congress for much of last week, triggering a political backlash and prompting a congressional investigation.
Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Dec. 22 to treat prostate cancer. He returned to the hospital on Jan. 1 due to complications including a urinary tract infection and has remained there ever since.
Austin’s effort to keep his treatment completely private has raised questions about whether he broke rules about notifications to Congress and embarrassed U.S. President Joe Biden, who did not learn that Austin was hospitalized until Jan. 4 and learned on Jan. 9 that he had prostate cancer.
The White House and the Pentagon have dismissed calls for Austin to be fired.
(Reporting by Eric Beech and Phil Stewart in WashingtonEditing by Susan Heavey and Matthew Lewis)
