President diagnosed with the flu
President diagnosed with the flu
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid was diagnosed with
influenza on Thursday after a flurry of doctors at the palace
earlier in the day sent jitters over his state of health.
An official statement from the presidential medical team said
the President was thoroughly examined after coming down with a
fever in the morning which later subsided.
"The President has been advised to rest for a few days," the
team said.
But later in the evening the workaholic President was
receiving guests as he hosted a dinner for German Islamic expert
Anna Marie Schimmel.
"I am just fine," Abdurrahman told journalists before the
dinner at his official residence in Merdeka Palace.
The President said he realized that he had caught a "cold"
after a walk around the palace gardens in the morning.
"I had a slight fever. Then I had my breakfast and took a
shower. But I still felt feverish. Then I called my doctors,"
Abdurrahman said.
Citing his doctor's diagnosis, the President said he was
suffering from slight influenza.
"So just now I slept until 5 (p.m.)," he remarked with a
laugh.
While doctors had officially asked him to rest for a few days
there seemed no stopping Abdurrahman's cycle of activities. He
seemed adamant to defy his physicians' advise and insisted on
soon resuming his out-of-town activities.
"If I am quite fine, why not?" he said of the plan to visit
Pekalongan and Demak, in Central Java, on Sunday.
However, there was no confirmation whether plans to visit
Brunei and East Timor next week would go ahead.
The nation was jolted on Thursday morning when palace
officials suddenly canceled all presidential appointments for the
day.
He was earlier due to meet with leaders of the Supreme
Advisory Council (DPA) and the Central Bureau of Statistics
(BPS).
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri had to substitute during
the installation of members of the National Commission on Law.
The hustle and bustle of doctors at the palace raised fears of
the worse.
But officials maintain that a general examination was
conducted along with a checkup, which was apparently long
overdue.
The two-hour checkup was headed by Brig. Gen. Dr. Tony
Soufyan.
He reiterated to journalists that the President was suffering
"from the flu, or a viral infection. The President has been
advised to rest for a few days, while taking the necessary
medication."
The doctors who treated him on Thursday included Jusuf
Misbach, Hendarmin Syafei, Firdaus and Umar Wahid, who is
Abdurrahman's younger brother.
"Clinical tests show the President was suffering from a fever,
while his general condition is good. No complications were
found," Tony said.
The President's blood pressure and glucose content were said
to be normal.
During the medical checkup, First Lady Sinta Nuriyah and his
four daughters accompanied him.
There had been fears that Thursday's events may have been a
recurrence of Abdurrahman's past medical condition.
Abdurrahman was hospitalized for two months after a stroke in
January 1998. He then underwent brain surgery at state Cipto
Mangunkusumo Hospital.
He was also treated for hypertension in July 1997. High blood
pressure caused severe nose bleeding at the time.
But a source very close to the 59-year-old President assured
that "it's clear that he's in good health".
"He's a workaholic ... Doctors probably decided to use this
opportunity to get him to rest," the source told The Jakarta
Post.
Initial news of the President's health condition in the
morning caused share prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX)
to slide.
Yuzar Nazaruddin, stockbroker at Ficor Sekuritas Indonesia,
said investors were nervous on Thursday and were still
speculating about the true health condition of the President.
"They hope to get clarification tomorrow (Friday)," Yuzar
said.
The JSX Composite Index was down 1.9 percent or 10.941 points
at 573.48.
Mirroring the stock market, the rupiah also closed lower
against the dollar on Thursday at 7,475 compared to 7,445 the
previous day. (prb/udi/mds)