Soeharto told to stay in hospital

JAKARTA (JP): Doctors have told former president Soeharto to spend five to six days at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta to recover from his mild stroke, hospital director Sudjono Martoatmodjo announced on Wednesday.

"For his recovery, the doctors want him to stay here at the hospital for five or six more days," he told a press conference at the hospital.

According to Sudjono, the 78-year-old former ruler is conscious and his condition has been "improving".

"His chances of recovering from his illness are more than 50 percent."

Soeharto is able to communicate with other people, he said.

Sudjono's announcement put to rest some of the speculation over the former autocrat's health.

When Soeharto was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, hospital spokesman Syahrir Mohammad and many of Soeharto's close relatives and friends repeatedly said that he was at the hospital merely for a "routine general check up".

According to Sudjono, the doctors have not yet allowed their patient to sit or receive any of his guests.

"He needs a rest," he explained.

The hospital's director said a CT scan had revealed a clogged blood vessel in the former strongman's brain. Soeharto had complained of headaches.

The team of doctors, led by cardiologist Ibrahim Ginting and including neurosurgeon Satyanagara and neurologists Joko Rahardjo and Teguh Pranakusuma, would try to expedite the blood flow in the blood vessel, he said.

"It's not a blood vessel bleeding, but only a clog. It doesn't need surgery."

Stating the former strongman's age as one of the main factors of his illness, Sudjono believed that "most mild stroke sufferers recover".

"Several factors that caused the mild stroke include age, high blood pressure, the smoking habit and psychological condition of the patient," he said.

He added that people suffering from light strokes caused by psychological factors would only need about one week to recover.

Although Soeharto's illness was still the top issue of the day in the country on Wednesday, it had almost no effect on financial markets. The rupiah remained stable against other currencies.

During his second day in the VVIP room on the sixth floor of the hospital on Wednesday, crowds of reporters stood vigil outside the hospital as well-wishers and flower deliveries were ushered in through a separate door.

Among them were leading politicians, including some long-term critics of the former strongman, such as Amien Rais and Kwik Kian Gie.

However, many people were not given access by Soeharto's close aides to meet the former iron-fisted ruler.

According to Kwik, now an executive of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he did not expect to see Soeharto but merely wanted to deliver his sympathy through his aides.

"It happens that I know his children well so I come to send my wishes," Kwik said as he left the hospital.

Amien Rais, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said he expected the former president to be well soon.

"I hope that he'll soon recover and help settle the problems of the nation," Amien told reporters later at the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization secretariat on Jl. Menteng Raya in Central Jakarta.

However, he implied that Soeharto should ask for the public's forgiveness for all his past mistakes.

"Half of the problems can be settled if he asks for forgiveness from the people," he said.

Even controversial figure Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the largest Muslim organization Nadhlatul Ulama, who still has a close relationship with Soeharto, was not allowed to meet with the former president.

Among the great number of figures that showed up at the hospital on Wednesday were former president Try Sutrisno, Palestine Ambassador to Indonesia Ribhi Y. Awad, education expert Arief Rahman, former coordinating minister for defense and security M. Panggabean, Minister of Transmigration and Resettlement of Forest Squatters A.M. Hendro Priyono, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono, former Indonesian police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo, former Army chief of staff Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar, former National Logistics Agency (Bulog) chief Beddu Amang, and former attorney general Singgih.

Security remained tight at the hospital's B block building.

Murya, a patient scheduled to undergo a thyroid scan, was prevented by security guards from entering the scanning room. He eventually was able to enter only after an official escorted him through another door.

Soeharto went to Germany in 1996 for a medical checkup. He also had special treatment in 1994 after his presidential medical team found a urinary tract problem.

Limited access to verify Soeharto's health status sparked rumors in the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday that the former president had died in the morning.

Soenarka, a KPU member from the New Masyumi Party, spread news to journalists and other KPU members that Soeharto had died, during a commission plenary meeting to discuss the appointment of regional representatives to the People's Consultative Assembly.

The commission plenary meeting was abruptly adjourned for five minutes to allow the KPU members express their condolences to the former president. (asa/emf/imn)