Rusmono

Rusmono
Inspector General of the Department of Health
In office 28 July 1992 – 10 April 2000
President	Suharto B. J. Habibie Abdurrahman Wahid
Preceded by	Mohammad Isa
Succeeded by	Dadi Sugandi Argadiredja
Personal details
Born	(1943-09-10)10 September 1943 Pemalang, Central Java, Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
Died	16 December 2021(2021-12-16) (aged 78) Jakarta, Indonesia
Military service
Allegiance	Indonesia
Branch/service	Indonesian Army
Years of service	1968–1999
Rank	Major general
Unit	Health (CKM)

Rusmono (10 September 1943 – 16 December 2021) was an Indonesian military doctor. He was

Education and military career

Rusmono was born in

Seven years later, in 1982, Rusmono pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Indonesia. He was then assigned as a regular medical officer at the army headquarters. Aside from being an army doctor, Rusmono also ran a clinic alongside his wife.[1]

Suharto's personal doctor

On 17 February 1983, Rusmono, who was a lieutenant colonel, was summoned by Suharto to his house. After asking him about his daily life and activities, Suharto informed him of his new assignment as his personal doctor. Rusmono became Suharto's personal doctor for about nine years.

During this period, Rusmono was promoted several times until he reached the rank of brigadier general. Rusmono also became a part of Suharto's inner circle and was entrusted with key positions within the Harapan Kita Foundation, a foundation owned by Suharto's wife Tien Suharto.^[1]

As Suharto's personal doctor, Rusmono had to accompany him whenever he sought treatment for medical reasons. Rusmono stated that Suharto "has a firm sense of nationalism", stating that he always refused to be treated overseas and always had his medical checkups at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital.^[1]

Aside from being tasked to oversee Suharto's health, Rusmono also archived Suharto and his wife's correspondence. Following Suharto's downfall and death, Rusmono compiled these letters and published them as a book titled A Series of Dispositions of President Soeharto & First Lady. The book, which was supplemented with commentaries from biographer Donna Sita Indria, was released in 2018.^[2]

In the Department of Health

In early 1992, Rusmono was offered a job by Minister of Health, Adhiyatma, as an inspector general.^[1] The previous officeholder had died in office and the post was vacant for a considerable period of time. Rusmono accepted this offer and was installed as inspector general on 28 July 1992.^[3] In connection with his appointment, Rusmono was promoted to the rank of major general on 1 April 1994.^[4]

During his tenure as inspector general, he uncovered various financial leakages in the department that resulted in a total loss of up to three billion rupiahs. Most of the leakages were found in the Directorate General for Medical Services.^[5]

He was replaced on 10 April 2000 and continued to work in the department as an expert staff advisor to the minister until his retirement as a civil servant in 2003.^[6]

Death

After his retirement, Rusmono continued to manage Suharto's foundations: the Harapan Kita Foundation and the Dana Abadi Karya Bakti Foundation.^[7][8]

Rusmono died on 16 December 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia, three months after his 78th birthday. He was buried a day later at a cemetery in Bambu Apus, South Jakarta.^[9][10]

References