Pale Soeharto leaves Pertamina Hospital

JAKARTA (JP): After undergoing 10 days of intensive medical treatment for a minor stroke, former president Soeharto left Pertamina Hospital for his home on Friday afternoon.

Accompanied by his eldest daughter Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti Rukmana, the 78-year-old former strongman was taken in a wheelchair from his super VVIP room on the sixth floor to a waiting gray Mercedes-Benz sedan outside the South Jakarta hospital.

Attired in a white pajama top, a checkered sarong and a shawl draped around his neck, the ailing Soeharto looked pale but managed to walk to the car with help.

Later in Soeharto's tightly guarded residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta, his lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon said it was his client who decided to leave the hospital after doctors gave him the green light to do so.

"If I can leave now, why should we wait for tomorrow?" Juan quoted Soeharto as saying on Friday before noon.

The lawyer added: "He can now walk, albeit weakly, his left arm is also weak but he can move it."

Soeharto, he said, could speak but was not fully articulate.

"His spirit to recover is remarkable for a man of his age," Juan said, boasting about his client's zest for life.

Soeharto underwent a series of examinations, including a CT- scan, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging examination, nuclear examination, radiology and intensive physiotherapy during his stay in the hospital.

Five of his six billionaire children were also seen at the hospital when he left.

His other son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, was attending a court hearing on corruption charges in South Jakarta District Court.

Juan reiterated that Soeharto's children and relatives had no plan to take the former president overseas for further medical treatment.

"He'll be treated at home."

Juan, however, said the medical treatment arrangement for Soeharto at Cendana remained unclear.

The only thing Soeharto will initially get is a nurse, who'll continue looking after the former president from day to day, he added.

Juan gave no further explanation about the nurse.

All good

Ibrahim Ginting, head of Soeharto's team of doctors, said the hospital agreed to release him after a series of tests revealed he was well enough to go home.

"Pak Harto's blood test was good, so were his blood sugar and red blood cell count levels. All are normal and there are no other complications," Ginting said as quoted by Antara on Friday.

Ginting said Soeharto would undergo further physiotherapy at home.

"Intensive rehabilitation will be carried out," he said.

"There'll be a program arranged to restore his health. The program is mainly physical.

"But the restrictions for him remain the same ... and he doesn't have to keep returning to the hospital for more medical checkups."

Soeharto's residence is reportedly equipped with sophisticated medical equipment, placed there following the demise of his wife Tien Soeharto in April 1996 at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Central Jakarta.

Doctors have given the former ruler, who was forced to resign in May last year, more than a 50 percent chance of full recovery.

Speculation over Soeharto's health mounted when he was rushed to the hospital on July 20.

In the first few hours, his entourage and doctors insisted it was for a routine checkup.

On the next day, they admitted he had suffered a mild stroke.

Soeharto became seriously ill from exhaustion in December 1997 and was forced to cancel two planned overseas trips.

In July 1996, he underwent a three-day medical checkup at a cardiac hospital in the German spa town of Bad Oeynhausen.

In August 1994, he underwent a number of medical tests at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, where it was discovered he had kidney stones.

Soeharto, who has always seemed to be healthy, has appeared in public several times since his resignation, mostly to deny charges of corruption. (emf)