(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-16 16:42

JAKARTA -- Signs of systemic infection have been found at the lungs of the 86-year-old Indonesian former president Soeharto, who is still in critical condition at a hospital, Mardjo Soebiandono, head of his doctors team, said here Wednesday.

Doctors are struggling to control lung infections of Indonesia's 86-year-old former President Soeharto who is in critical condition in the hospital, doctors said Monday that they will try to diminish inflammation to Soeharto's lung. [Xinhua]

Soebiandono told a press conference that the doctors were struggling to stop the infection at Soeharto's lungs, in which accumulation of liquid still occurs.

"There are still accumulation of liquid in the lungs and signs of systemic infection...Drugs are maximally given and an intensive treatment is persistently attempted," he said.

The doctor said the overall condition of the former strongman was still unstable despite some slight improvement at his haemoglobin content, blood pressure and breath.

The blood pressure ranged from 100 to 110 per 30 to 40 mm hg and the haemoglob in this morning becomes 10.3 percent after a blood tranfusion, he said. However, the breathing was still assisted by ventilator and the functions of hearth and lungs were still unstable too.

The doctor said Soeharto was fully conscious and gave a good response at the doctors' orders. "This morning I saw directly (Soeharto) was at full consciousness, even though he was still look weak. When we asked are you sick Sir, he nodded his head which means yes."

Another doctor Christian Johannes said Soharto had showed improvement on breathing and the doctors slowly reduced the assistance of ventilator.

"Because the breathing capability of Bapak (Soeharto) has appeared, and it seems becoming quite stronger, more than 50 percent, we begin to slowly reduce the ventilator assistance," he said.

Soeharto had ruled Indonesia for 32 years before he was toppled by a pro-democracy riot on May 21, 1998. He faced numerous allegation of human rights violation and corruption during his rules, but in May 2006 prosecutors closed a criminal case against him due to his deteriorating health.

Soeharto has been frequently treated in the hospital in recent years for a stroke and intestinal bleeding. He has been treated at the hospital for 13 days.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono could not make a decision whether to give a pardon to the former president, due to the absent of judiciary decision, according to the State Spokesman Andi Mallaranggeng.