Lloyd Austin's aide demanded ambulance lights and sirens be turned off during medical emergency, 911 call reveals

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made several efforts to keep his January medical emergency a secret, a 911 call has revealed. He had been hospitalised in the beginning of January due to complications from prostate cancer surgery. According to the call, an aide asked 911 operators to ensure the ambulance being sent for him does not turn on its lights and sirens.

“Can I ask – can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens?” the staffer said in the recording, obtained by The Daily Beast. “Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle.”

The dispatcher agreed, explaining that “usually when they turn into a residential neighbourhood, they’ll turn them off.” The operator, however, added that according to the law in Virginia where Austin lives, EMTSs must use the lights and sirens on main streets and major thoroughfares.

What happened to Lloyd Austin?

What happened to Austin was revealed much later, on January 9, when the Pentagon disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis. The surgery reportedly caused infection and he had to be hospitalised at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a statement from his doctors released by The Pentagon said.

The Defense Department was deeply criticised for taking three days to inform the White House and key defence officials about the hospitalisation. Questions were raised on how the head of the military could be away from work for such a long time without informing senior members of the administration.

The statement from Austin’s doctors, John Maddox and Gregory Chestnut, said that his surgery was done on December 22. All went well with the surgery but he was under general anaesthesia. "The cancer was detected early and his prognosis is excellent," the doctors said.

While the 70-year-old returned home on December 23, he started experiencing severe hip and leg pain and nausea on January 1. He then had to return to the hospital.

It was determined that Austin had a urinary tract infection, so he was transferred to the intensive care unit for “close monitoring and a higher level of care," the statement said. Doctors later found that he had "abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines."

"This resulted in the back up of his intestinal contents which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach," the officials added. "The abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement. He has progressed steadily throughout his stay." Austin has now been released from the hospital, as per several reports.