Austin discharged from hospital after being admitted to intensive care unit
13 February 2024, 22:54
The US Defence Secretary has had ongoing health issues since undergoing surgery in December to treat prostate cancer.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has been released from hospital and will resume his full duties, the Pentagon has said.
Mr Austin has had ongoing health issues since undergoing surgery in December to treat prostate cancer.
He returned to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre on Sunday for a bladder issue and was admitted to intensive care for the second time since the surgery.
The 70-year-old is expected to host a virtual meeting Wednesday of about 50 countries who meet monthly to coordinate military aid for Ukraine.
He had been scheduled to travel to Brussels on Tuesday for the Ukraine meeting, followed by a quarterly meeting with Nato defence ministers on Thursday.
The US ambassador to Nato, Julie Smith, will represent Mr Austin at the meeting instead.
Mr Austin underwent non-surgical procedures on Monday to address the bladder issue, and his doctors had said they did not anticipate he would be in the hospital for a prolonged period this time.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters that the bladder issue was not related to Mr Austin’s prostate cancer, but she did not know if it was a further complication from his December surgery.
In January, Mr Austin was hospitalised for two weeks at Walter Reed after he experienced complications from the surgery.
