Soeharto to arrive home today
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto is due to arrive here this morning after doctors who gave him a three-day medical checkup declared he was in "excellent" health.
Soeharto checked out of the cardiac hospital in the German spa town of Bad Oeynhausen, where he underwent tests, and left for home at around 11 a.m. yesterday.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told journalists in his office yesterday that the President's plane was scheduled to touch down at Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 8:15 a.m.
He reiterated that test results showed that Soeharto was in good health, describing the medical checkup abroad as "a second opinion" that confirmed the positive prognosis of doctors at home.
"As I have said before, it's really quite normal for anyone to seek a second opinion," Moerdiono remarked.
He added that a team of seven Indonesian doctors were also present when Soeharto was undergoing the checkup.
"From the beginning, it had been planned that the President would go through a full medical examination by a team of German and Indonesian doctors," he said.
The Herz und Diabeteszentrum hospital is renown for its heart treatment. Indonesian Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie had also previously been treated in this 400 bed hospital.
Soeharto was previously scheduled to return home on Sunday. He decided to move up his trip home as soon as the doctors gave him a clean bill of health.
Moerdiono said that Soeharto had not been cut off from domestic developments, as his aides provided him with daily updates.
In fact, the President actually gave "directions" concerning one specific report, Moerdiono said. He did not elaborate.
The head of the examination team in Bad Oeynhausen, heart specialist Dr. Reiner Korfer, further confirmed yesterday the President's physical condition.
All the organs of the head of state -- including his heart, liver, lungs and kidney -- are functioning normally, Korfer said, as reported by Antara.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Soeharto received a visit from German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
Described as a meeting of "two old friends", the two leaders conversed for over an hour.
During the meeting, the President stressed the need for closer cooperation between the two countries in the field of health. He underlined the importance of Indonesian doctors studying more from their German colleagues in various medical fields, including cardiology.
Soeharto said that while sophisticated equipment was an important factor, the quality and ability of the doctors themselves was also crucial.
Also on Thursday, Soeharto hosted a modest dinner to thank the doctors and staff of the hospital. The dinner was held at the hospital cafeteria.
Soeharto expressed his gratitude at the warm reception given him as well as the thorough checkup he had undergone. He also expressed his delight at being given a demonstration of various sophisticated health equipment at the hospital.
Before leaving for the airport to return home yesterday morning, Soeharto separately received three guests. The first was heavy machinery businessman Van Meyes, followed by Dr. Bishoff from Daimler Benz Aerospace and finally, Dr. Schmidt, the hospital's director. (mds)