Outgoing state minister to build hospital in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): Outgoing State Minister of Population/Chairman of the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN) Ida Bagus Oka hopes to make a happy return to Bali, the island of paradise where he was raised and nurtured his career.

"I want to build a hospital there as soon as I relinquish the ministerial post," Oka told reporters in perhaps his last media conference at his office on Friday.

"I have been approached by some of my colleagues to run the hospital."

Wearing casual attire, instead of a formal safari coat, Oka gave no traces of post-power syndrome. "I am relaxed today," he smiled.

Oka, also former Denpasar-based Udayana University rector and Bali governor, took up the ministerial post in B.J. Habibie's Reform Development Cabinet.

He was upbeat about his chances of being successful in running the new business, citing his ample experience. He is a general practitioner himself, having graduated from Airlangga University in Surabaya.

"I will adapt Singapore's health tourism promotions which attract many Indonesians who travel to Singapore to seek health care," he said.

Oka recounted his brief term, which he claimed to be a success story despite the economic crisis which remains unabated.

"Of course, there was a slight decrease in the number of families taking part in the family planning program. Nevertheless, it was considerably insignificant," he said.

His office data reveals that around 27 million families are members of the program. (02)