Soeharto may leave hospital soon: Doctor

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto could be discharged from hospital in the next few days if he shows rapid improvement, a senior doctor said on Wednesday.

"He should be set to return home in the next few days as his health condition is improving," said the doctor leading Soeharto's medical team, Ibrahim Ginting.

Ginting said Soeharto's condition had not deteriorated since his admission last Saturday to Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta.

Ginting stressed the intestinal bleeding was not related to the president's mild stroke suffered less than a month ago.

"We have checked, and this (intestinal bleeding) is because of his old age," Ginting told The Jakarta Post late Wednesday.

Soeharto, 78, was readmitted to hospital after complaining of feeling unwell from early Saturday morning.

Former minister of cooperatives and small enterprises Bustanil Arifin confirmed to a throng of media outside the hospital that he had visited Soeharto.

He said Soeharto had no difficulty recognizing him.

"I was a member of his staff and he smiled at me as I approached him."

Bustanil said the former president had regained his strength after receiving intensive medical treatment.

"We were engaged in warm conversation. Pak Harto was sitting on his bed," Bustanil said after a half hour visit late Wednesday.

Asked about the conversation topics, Bustanil gestured at some newspaper reports on the former president's health.

Rumors spread among the media on that Soeharto died at 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Astaghfirullah (God forgive me)... Who said such a terrible thing? He was in good health," Bustanil yelled.

Soeharto's lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon also dismissed the rumors out of hand.

"He looked much better than before ... he discussed plenty of things with me," Juan told the Post late Wednesday.

Juan, however, acknowledged that any disease could be serious at Soeharto's advanced age.

The former president has suffered poor health for some years.

Kidney stones were discovered during medical tests at Gatot Subroto Hospital in 1994. He also underwent a cardiac medical checkup in Germany in 1996. (asa/emf/ylt)