Gus Dur to undergo checkup on Saturday<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid, who has previously
\nsuffered two strokes, is scheduled to undergo a medical
\nexamination on Saturday, a palace official revealed on Friday.<\/p>\n
Wahyu Muryadi, head of the presidential protocol bureau, said
\nthe routine six-monthly medical check-up would take place at the
\nArmy's Gatot Subroto Hospital in Central Jakarta at around 8
\na.m..<\/p>\n
The procedure was last conducted on the 60-year-old President
\nin October, at which time Abdurrahman was given a clean bill of
\nhealth by the medical team.<\/p>\n
Wahyu's statement followed Abdurrahman's absence from Friday
\nprayers at the palace's Baiturrahim Mosque earlier in the day.
\nHis absence quickly sparked speculation that he was ill.<\/p>\n
Head of the presidential medical team, Umar Wahid, quickly
\ndenied the rumors of illness, saying that the President was
\npreparing for the medical check-up.<\/p>\n
Umar, who is also Abdurrahman's younger brother, said the
\nPresident needed to rest and that a set of tests were conducted
\non Abdurrahman 24-hours prior to Saturday's examination.<\/p>\n
\"I met him this morning at 6 a.m. and he was in a good
\ncondition,\" Umar said at Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Another member of the presidential team, Brig. Gen. Tony
\nSoufyan, said that an array of tests were conducted on the
\nPresident on Friday to monitor his blood pressure and pulse.<\/p>\n
Fully aware that his absence from Friday prayers had triggered
\nspeculation, Abdurrahman held an unscheduled press briefing on
\nFriday afternoon to deny that he was ill.<\/p>\n
\"A set of devices has been attached to my body to monitor my
\npulse and blood pressure, so I can't move around. I thought it
\nwould be too disturbing if I attended Friday prayers,\"
\nAbdurrahman said.<\/p>\n
He said that rumors of his health had prompted Coordinating
\nMinister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono and National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro
\nto personally contact him on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"I am fine. I had my regular morning walk, I had breakfast
\nthis morning with (talk show host) Jaya Suprana and then I was
\ninterviewed by an Australian magazine,\" the President said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman then said that his absence from Friday prayers had
\nbeen blown out of proportion and exploited to undermine his
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
When asked to specify those who were behind these campaigns,
\nAbdurrahman said: \"I would not say this ... but the most
\nimportant thing is that I am healthy and the people who did this
\nshould be ashamed of themselves.\"<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day Umar refused to comment on claims that
\nAbdurrahman's erratic policy-making style was due to his
\ndeteriorating health.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Doctors Association, in a statement released on
\nThursday, denied that they had established a team to examine the
\nresults of a report by four doctors submitted to the House,
\nconducted a clinical observation of Abdurrahman, and concluded
\nthat he was physically and psychologically unfit to lead the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
The Association insisted that any assumption based merely on
\nobservation was \"an imperfect medical procedure\". (byg\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-to-undergo-checkup-on-saturday-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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