President given clean bill of health by team of doctors

JAKARTA (JP): Just a few hours after his arrival from a two- week trip to eight countries, President Abdurrahman Wahid received a clean bill of health from the team of presidential doctors.

In a statement jointly signed by the team's chairman, Umar Wahid, and the head of the team's council of expert doctors, Jusuf Misbach, the doctors said the results of the President's checkup, conducted by the team and other foreign medical teams as second opinions, showed Abdurrahman's health was excellent.

"The release of the outcome of the checkup and the examinations done by prominent health institutions needs to be announced to clarify the confusion and opinion caused by the statements of several public leaders about the health of the President," the team said.

The statement was responding to mounting calls for a reexamination of the President's health, which many consider to have much to do with his tendency to make controversial remarks.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung urged the team of presidential doctors last week to release the President's medical records to the public.

Umar, Abdurrahman's younger brother, is a pulmonary specialist, and currently works as the head of state-owned Pasar Rebo Hospital in East Jakarta. Jusuf is a senior neurologist.

According to the statement, when Abdurrahman suffered from a stroke in January 1998, which led to his brain surgery, a team of doctors from state Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital closely monitored his health until September 1999.

Last October, Abdurrahman underwent another examination as part of his preparation for the presidential election. The result was also convincing, the doctors concluded.

The statement also disclosed the same conclusions from the teams of doctors from Harapan Kita Cardiac Hospital, Beijing Ophthalmic Center at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Medicine, China, Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, both in the United States.

However, the statement did not mention much about Abdurrahman's vision problem. The President is practically blind now.

Doctors in the United States declared last week that President Abdurrahman Wahid's right eye was in fair condition, but indicated his vision was not likely to fully recover. His left eye is completely blind.

"The health condition of the President is much better compared to his situation before becoming president," the statement said.

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais proposed on Tuesday the issuance of a bill which would clearly specify the health requirements for future presidents and vice presidents.

"Physical and mental health is an absolute condition for a president," said Amien, who was the key supporter of Abdurrahman in last October's presidential election.

The country does not have a clear regulation about health requirements.

Article two of the 1945 Constitution does not demand the president and vice president to meet specific health requirements.

Assembly decrees issued in 1973 and 1999 require that presidential and vice presidential candidates are not mentally ill. The ruling implies that only mentally fit people are eligible to join the race for the top executive job.

Meanwhile, political scientist Cornelis Lay asserted on Wednesday that the President's habit to make controversial statements had nothing to do with health problems.

"Abdurrahman's litigious statements correlate more with his personal style. He has been widely known for his disputatious remarks long before he suffered from the strokes," Cornelis from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University said. (prb/44)