US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's health concerns have once again raised concerns, but this time, unlike the previous "cover-up" for prostate cancer, the Pentagon this time chose to immediately make the information public.
On February 11, local time, the U.S. Department of Defense issued an announcement saying that Austin was sent to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center by security personnel at around 2:20 p.m. that day to observe whether there were symptoms of "emergency bladder problems". The incident was also notified, including the US Deputy Secretary of Defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House, and some members of Congress.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Austin retains the functional responsibilities of the office and that the deputy secretary of defense is ready to take over Austin's responsibilities if needed. And Austin went to the hospital with an unclassified and classified communication system. The Pentagon will also provide an update on Austin's condition as soon as possible.
According to the Associated Press, Austin was scheduled to leave for Brussels, Belgium, on February 13 to participate in a "Ukraine Contact Group meeting," which was established by Austin in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After that, Austin also plans to participate in a regular meeting of NATO defense ministers. It is unclear if this hospitalization** will have an impact on his travel plans.
It is worth noting that in December last year, Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and on January 1 of this year, he was admitted to the intensive care unit due to complications. And in this case, the Pentagon chose to disclose more timely information, in contrast to the previous "concealment".
Austin's health concerns have also sparked widespread discussion and concern. Prior to that, multiple Republican House members called for Austin**. While Austin was working remotely from home, the U.S. Department of Defense claimed that he had complete security information. Until recently, Austin held a briefing at the Pentagon and apologized for the incident. He said that although he chose to keep it secret, he learned from the American people's right to know the health of their leaders, and promised that there will be a more timely notification process in the future.
Faced with this situation, we can't help but wonder, should the health of leaders be made public? Will this have an impact on their ability to carry out their duties?