Defence Secretary Austin remaining in hospital, no specific date for his release - Pentagon

MOSCOW: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is still in the hospital and there is no specific date for his release yet, reported Sputnik, quoting the US Defence Department on Monday.

“Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III remains hospitalised at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre but is recovering well and in good spirits. Since resuming his duties on Friday evening, the Secretary has received operational updates and has provided necessary guidance to his team.”

“While we do not have a specific date for his release at this time, we will continue to provide updates on the Secretary’s status as they become available,“ Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Ryder added that on Saturday, Austin held talks with US President Joe Biden.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that Austin had been hospitalised four days prior after he experienced complications following an elective medical procedure.

NBC News reported on Saturday that the US defence secretary spent four days in the intensive care unit following his hospitalisation. Politico reported later that the Pentagon had kept the White House in the dark about Austin’s hospitalisation for three days and notified Congress 15 minutes before releasing the official statement.–Bernama-Sputnik