The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was released today from the hospital where he had been hospitalized for two weeks, the Pentagon announced.

Austin has been hospitalized since January 1 due to complications from treatment he received for prostate cancer, but has not disclosed his condition to the US government and the White House.

According to the Pentagon statement, the treatment he received was “timely and effective” and there are no plans to continue it, beyond regular monitoring by doctors, as is usually the case after a prostatectomy.

Following the advice of doctors, he will continue to perform his duties from his home for a while, until he returns to his office at the Ministry of Defence.

“As I continue to recover and perform my duties from home, I look forward to returning as soon as possible” to the Pentagon, said Austin himself, who was supported by President Joe Biden even as he kept his illness and hospitalization under wraps.

The 70-year-old retired general learned in early December that he was suffering from prostate cancer. He underwent surgery on December 22, returned home the next day but was re-admitted to hospital on New Year’s Day due to complications as he experienced nausea and severe pain.

The White House was only informed of his hospitalization on January 4, and the public the very next day. This situation caused an uproar, at a time when the US is involved in many conflicts around the world, such as in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The White House has admitted that “covert hospitalizations” are not “ideal” and even Democratic congressmen and senators have expressed displeasure. Although Biden has said he has confidence in his secretary, the White House has called for a review of the rules that apply when high-ranking officials are unable to perform their duties.