Soeharto is healthy, doctors say

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto checked out of the Army hospital yesterday morning after spending one night to have his kidneys checked, with doctors pronouncing that his health is fine.

The President was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday night to undertake tests related to kidney stone problems, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told reporters at the pavilion of the Gatot Soebroto Hospital.

"Over the past 10 days, the President has had some health complaints and it turned out that based on medical tests, he had stones in his kidney," Moerdiono said.

"One doctor said one of the stones (in his kidney) has been passed naturally. There will be other tests later to check the condition of other stones in his kidney," he said.

"Medically, the president is now in good health," he said quoting Pattiasina, a member of the president's medical team.

Soeharto left the hospital at 10.15 a.m., accompanied by Mrs.Tien Soeharto and a number of his children. He shook hands with some of the doctors as he left the pavilion.

Moerdiono said the doctors suggested that the President adjust his routine state activities in accordance with his health condition.

Soeharto has already decided to cancel his plan to attend the UN conference on population and development in Cairo scheduled to open on Sept. 5, but other planned state visits will still proceed as scheduled, he said.

Moerdiono did not elaborate on the other state visits but said that given Soeharto's health condition, the President needed more time to rest.

Soeharto had been scheduled to address the Cairo meeting as a leader representing the developing countries, an honor given to him as a tribute for Indonesia's highly acclaimed family planning program. The Indonesian delegation to Cairo will now be led by a minister.

Another major event in the Presidential agenda in the remainder of the year is the meeting of the leaders of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, scheduled in nearby Bogor on Nov. 15. Some 18 heads of state or their representatives are expected to attend, including U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Fritz Kakailatu, another member of the medical team, said the doctors did not prescribe any special medicine to the President for the stones in his kidney. "We recommended that he drink plenty of water and that's what he did."

Another doctor, Djoko, said that the next medical check up will be fitted around the presidential schedule. (emb)