Officials rankled over delayed reports of Austin's hospitalization

Officials rankled over delayed reports of Austin's hospitalization
by Mark Moran
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 7, 2024

Officials say there will be reviews of the policies on how the president and public are notified about emergency medical situations of staff following the delayed reporting of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization on New Year's Day.

Austin's hospitalization for "severe pain" was only revealed after several days, ABC News reported.

In a statement initially provided exclusively to ABC News, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin had an elective medical procedure Dec. 22 and then went home the following day.

On Jan. 1, "he began experiencing severe pain and was transported" back to Walter Reed, Ryder said.

"For privacy reasons, we're not able to provide additional information. He was placed in the hospital's intensive care unit to ensure immediate access ... due to his medical needs, but then remained in that location in part due to hospital space considerations and privacy," Ryder said.

Austin said he took complete responsibility keeping the news in the dark and issued a public apology on Saturday, saying in a statement that he "could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better."

"But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure," he said.

Staff said President Joe Biden was exasperated at not being informed of Austin's ongoing hospitalization more quickly. A U.S. official told ABC News that there will be a review of the unusual way in which Austin's medical treatment was disclosed.

The White House is publicly standing by Austin, with one administration official telling ABC News on Sunday that Biden "has full confidence in Secretary Austin" and is "looking forward to him being back at the Pentagon."

The president and Austin reportedly had a "warm conversation" Saturday evening, according to a White House official, but also said that some White House aides were angry about a lack of information regarding Austin's hospitalization.

While Austin was hospitalized on New Year's Day, a Monday, Congress was not notified until Friday afternoon, shortly before it was made public in a Pentagon news release, ABC News reported.

Lloyd, 70, is the nation's top defense official.

Austin "is recovering well and in good spirits," Ryder said in another statement on Sunday, adding that officials "do not have a specific date for his release at this time." The secretary resumed his duties on Friday night.