Taufik gets pacemaker implanted

Taufik gets pacemaker implanted

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Taufik Kiemas, husband of former president Megawati
Soekarnoputri, is recovering from heart surgery after doctors
implanted a pacemaker on Sunday, a close confidant said.

Secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), Pramono Anung Wibowo, said Taufik would be
moved to a regular ward on Monday for further treatment.

"He was okay even before the pacemaker was implanted, but his
heart needs to contract in a stable way," Pramono, who was among
party executives visiting Taufik on Sunday, told The Jakarta
Post.

It took the doctors at Harapan Kita Cardiac Hospital around
one and a half hours to implant the pacemaker. Taufik regained
consciousness three hours after the surgery.

Taufik underwent by-pass surgery in Australia in 2000. He was
also treated at Harapan Kita last year and traveled to Penang,
Malaysia, for further medical treatment related to his heart
problem.

He was readmitted to Harapan Kita on Oct. 7.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf
Kalla were among national figures who visited Taufik at the
hospital.

National Mandate Party (PAN) leader Soetrisno Bachir paid a
visit to Taufik on Sunday and said the PDIP lawmaker was in good
condition.

"He looked fresher. We exchanged jokes and talked about some
issues. I told him about how PAN had moved from the right to the
center," Soetrisno said, as quoted by Antara.

On Saturday, PDIP leader Megawati canceled her scheduled
meeting with a Malaysian UMNO delegation due to her husband's
health problems.