"There is no plan to (appoint) an interim minister to handle her tasks," he told newsmen at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport here after accompanying President Yudhoyono during a working visit to North Sumatra on Tuesday.
The head of state continued to have confidence in Endang Rahayu to handle the health ministry`s tasks, he said.
President Yudhoyono also supported and hoped for the health minister`s health recovery so that she could fully work again, he said.
"Until this time, Endang`s health condition has yet to affect her tasks as health minister," Julian said.
Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih herself had confirmed that her ailment would not affect her ministerial activities.
"I have regular medical check-ups at the hospital but this does not affect my ministerial activities," she recently said.
Her lung cancer was detected when she had a regular medical checkup in October 2010.
"On October 22, I underwent a medical checkup but a doctor who noticed the result of my x-ray was concerned and suggested that I had a further medical checkup," she said adding that the lung cancer was then revealed.
After getting a medical confirmation about her health condition, Rahayu said she had reported it to President Yudhoyono. The head of state backed her up for having medications, she said.
For her medical treatments, Rahayu said she went to local and overseas hospitals, including the army and Gading Pluit general hospitals in Jakarta.
The health minister`s health condition won other cabinet members` sympathy. Minister of Women`s Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, for instance, said she believed Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih would remain strong in battling her lung cancer.
"The health minister must be strong. She herself is a doctor so I believed she is strong," she said after receiving Edgae Xavier, the 12-year old wushu athlete that won a gold medal in the 2010 Junior Wushu Championship.
Linda said she herself had experienced the same situation several years ago when she was declared suffering from a breast cancer.
She said with the full support of the family and spirit to recover she finally was able to beat the disease and recovered from the illness.
"Therefore I could feel and understand what the health minister is feeling right now and I believed she could be able to surpass it well and recover." she said.
Linda said what was important was support from the family, the people and close associates.
"We must all give her support. Many have suffered from cancer but many have also been able to survive and recover. So the struggle is still long and therefore one must have spirit to recover," he said.
Linda also believed as a doctor the health minister certainly knew what she had to do to fight the disease.
"Ibu (Mme) Endang knows better what she has to do. She is a doctor," she said. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
