Gus Dur in hospital for nose bleeding

Gus Dur in hospital for nose bleeding

JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the 30-million-
strong Nahdlatul Ulama, was recovering from severe nose bleeding
in North Jakarta Koja Hospital yesterday.

"I'm feeling better," he said. "Hypertension seems to be the
cause of the bleeding. My blood pressure was so high that it
caused a blood vessel to burst."

Gus Dur, as he is better known, was admitted to the hospital
Sunday. By Tuesday he had lost about 1,500 cc of blood, his
relatives said.

Umar Wahid, the hospital's director and his younger brother,
said Gus Dur was being treated by a medical team led by internist
Mardi Santoso.

"He (Gus Dur) has not experienced nose bleeding of this kind
before. We don't think it's serious at the moment. He is doing
fine," he said.

The intravenous drip had been removed from Gus Dur's arm and
the cotton balls taken out of his nostril, but his condition
would be monitored closely before he could leave the hospital,
Umar said.

Gus Dur's daughter, Anitta Wahid, said her father fell ill on
July 5 and lost about two cups of blood between Sunday and
Tuesday.

"Although we live on the southern outskirts (of Jakarta), we
feel comfortable having him treated here because uncle is here to
take care of him," she said.

Gus Dur is well known for his political maneuvering and
controversial remarks on the government and his fellow Moslem
religious leaders.

He is now embroiled in a war of words with Alawi Muhammad of
East Java, whom he no longer recognizes as a Nahdlatul Ulama
executive. (40)