Gus Dur recovering, may be discharged from hospital soon

JAKARTA (JP): Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leader Abdurrahman Wahid, who has spent more than two weeks in hospital recovering from a stroke, may be discharged soon.

Hermansyur Kartowisatro, deputy chairman of the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta where Abdurrahman is being treated, said yesterday that the 57-year-old Moslem leader was doing fine.

"We are satisfied with his (Abdurrahman's) health," he told journalists, "Hopefully, he'll return home soon."

"We have also briefed his family on how to treat him at home after he is discharged from the hospital," he said.

The doctor said Gus Dur, as Abdurrahman is better known, could now talk, sit and eat without help.

"However, we have advised him to only talk about light issues until he totally recovers."

Journalists were allowed to see Gus Dur yesterday from a distance of about five meters from his bed at the hospital's Special Stroke Rehabilitation Center. They, however, were not allowed to approach him, let alone ask questions.

Wearing white pajamas and a black cap, Gus Dur waved to the reporters from his wheelchair. He was accompanied by his wife Siti Nuriyah.

The leader of the 30-million strong NU was rushed to the hospital on the night of Jan. 19 after he fell unconscious in a bathroom at the NU headquarters.

He underwent brain surgery after doctors confirmed that he had suffered a stroke.

Hermansyur, however, said that he could not precisely mention when Abdurrahman would leave the hospital, saying that it usually took stroke patients a long time to recover.

He said Abdurrahman was undergoing intensive rehabilitation treatment to ensure a complete recovery.

Yusuf Misbach, coordinator of the team of doctors treating Abdurraham, said the NU leader's recovery was "90 percent."

"Hopefully, his health will completely recover in a few weeks," he said.

Yusuf, however, declined to mention if the surgery would affect Gus Dur's intelligence or whether the patient's memory would be affected.

"All I can tell you is that he had a stroke after suffering bleeding in his cerebellum," he said.

Gus Dur is a grandson of NU's founding father Hasyim Asy'ari, and son of former NU chairman, Wahid Hasyim.

He is also known as a prominent government critic and an influential commentator on political and social issues. (imn)