Ailing Alatas to take further heart treatment in Australia

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas is recovering from a mild heart attack he sustained two weeks ago but he has been ordered by doctors to undergo further treatment in Australia.

"I'm feeling much better, things are now under control," Alatas told a reporter from The Jakarta Post, who visited him at his room at the Medistra hospital in Central Jakarta yesterday.

Accompanied by his wife and a daughter, Alatas looked fresh and was full of smiles. Bouquets sent by colleagues and relatives filled up the lobby outside his room which was attended a hospital security guard.

The 61-year-old minister, known as a hard-working chain smoker, was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Cardiac Care Unit two weeks ago, but was moved to private room last week.

His doctors had ordered him to have two weeks of complete rest but it now appears that he will be out of action for a little while longer.

Alatas has been recuperating with the support of his wife, who visits him everyday and receives a continuous flow of guests.

He has also started sending memorandums to his staff from the hospital.

The ministry's chief spokesman, Irawan Abidin, who visited the minister yesterday, told the Post that Alatas would leave for Melbourne, Australia, soon for another treatment.

A statement issued by the ministry later explained that Alatas' condition was getting better and that he has been monitoring the ministry's activities from the hospital.

The treatment in Australia aims at preventing a possible narrowing of the blood vessels.

According to the statement, the minister was concerned about speculation regarding his health in the past few days. (par)