Soeharto to arrive home today

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)