Soeharto in serious condition, bleeding

The health condition of former Indonesian president Soeharto remained unstable due to continuous intestinal bleeding.

His "hemoglobin level currently is recorded at 10.8 g/dl, up from 7.8 g/dl in the beginning after massive bleeding in the intestines," Mardjo Soebiandono, head of the medical team was quoted as saying by a local press here Tuesday.

Soebiandono said that Soeharto also suffered from protrusions in the intestine, causing a thinning of the walls and bleeding.

"This is an old disease (of Soeharto's) and it has happened repeatedly. To increase the hemoglobin level, a patient needs 300 cc to 400 cc of blood transfused every day," he said.

Soeharto was admitted to the hospital last Thursday after blood tests showed he was anemic.

Soebiandono said that Soeharto could still communicate though he appeared weak. The former strongman had insisted that doctors discharge him from the hospital, the doctor claimed.

Soeharto, who ruled Indonesia for 32 years, has suffered a number of health problems, including two strokes and intestinal bleeding, since he was forced to resign amid violent pro-democracyriots almost seven years ago.

He has been indicted for corruption, but in 2000 judges ruled he was unfit to stand trial because of brain damage as a result ofthe strokes.