Gus Dur in intensive care after brain surgery<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Get well messages poured in, including from
\nPresident Soeharto and Vice President Try Sutrisno, as family and
\nfriends waited anxiously for news of Abdurrahman Wahid's
\ncondition after he underwent three hours of brain surgery
\nyesterday to stop internal bleeding.<\/p>\n
A statement issued by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) executive board
\nyesterday evening said the three-hour surgery which began at 10
\na.m. \"went as expected\".<\/p>\n
Doctors and relatives refused to elaborate further on the
\ninfluential scholar's latest medical condition after the
\noperation or whether he had regained consciousness.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hermansyur Kartowisatro, one of the team of doctors
\ntreating Abdurrahman, merely said that \"he is now under
\nobservation in the intensive care unit.\"<\/p>\n
There was no explanation on the cause of the illness but
\nrelatives said that he had been suffering from diabetes and
\nlacked discipline in controlling his diet.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, chairman of the 30-million-strong NU Moslem
\norganization, was rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in
\nCentral Jakarta Monday night after he collapsed and fell
\nunconscious in the bathroom of the NU headquarters.<\/p>\n
Throughout the day yesterday, the intensive care unit at the
\nhospital saw a rotation of prominent figures coming and going to
\nvisit and pray for Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Two guest books at the hospital were filled with names such as
\nformer legislator Bambang Warih Koesoemo, Catholic priest I.
\nSandyawan and National Human Rights Commission member Asmara
\nNababan.<\/p>\n
Also seen visiting were Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi
\nTaher, Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja and senior Muhammadiyah
\nfigure Muslim Abdulrahman.<\/p>\n
Several bouquets of flowers for Abdurrahman were also seen
\naround the intensive care unit, one of them a yellow, purple and
\nwhite orchid arrangement from President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
A fruit basket from Try Sutrisno was also placed near
\nAbdurrahman's room which is located at the very end of the
\ncorridor of the ward.<\/p>\n
Yesterday evening, ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI), Megawati Soekarnoputri, arrived for a visit. She
\nstayed one hour in the room where Abdurrahman's wife remained by
\nher husband.<\/p>\n
\"I can't comment but I believe his condition is quite
\ncritical,\" she said later. \"Of course I'm quite concerned,\" added
\nMegawati who is known to have close ties with Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Less than 15 minutes after she left, former PDI legislator
\nSabam Sirait arrived to visit but was not allowed into
\nAbdurrahman's room by hospital officials who said only family
\nmembers were allowed.<\/p>\n
He then sat outside in the waiting room with other relatives
\nand friends.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja also came
\nand joined Sabam in the waiting room after reading a notice which
\nprohibited nonfamily members to enter.<\/p>\n
Separately, Golkar chairman Harmoko said he was praying for
\nAbdurrahman's immediate recovery. \"I hope that Gus Dur will soon
\nrecover and return back to his office again,\" he told reporters
\nafter chairing a weekly leadership meeting at the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
\"He has a vision for the future. And he always thinks
\nrealistically,\" said Harmoko who claimed to be personally close
\nto the NU chairman, who is commonly known as Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
A staff member at the NU secretariat, Somad, said yesterday
\nthat he received at least 50 telephone calls from local and
\nforeign journalists and Gus Dur's friends and relatives asking
\nwhether the NU chairman had died.<\/p>\n
\"All of them surprisingly asked whether Gus Dur was already
\ndead,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Known as an influential commentator on political and social
\nissues, Abdurrahman, 57, also chairs the Democracy Forum, an
\norganization which includes prominent government critics.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's illness comes at a time of heightened fears of
\ncivil unrest due to the severe economic crisis which has seen
\nrising unemployment and food prices.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the NU executive board yesterday afternoon held a
\nmeeting to appoint Khafid Usman, current head of the executive
\nboard, as NU acting chief until Abdurrahman's recovery.<\/p>\n
A NU statement urged members \"not to be easily provoked\" by
\nrumors which might cause unrest. (10\/imn\/mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-in-intensive-care-after-brain-surgery-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}