Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A member of the presidential medical team will continuously monitor the state of health of Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih who has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The presidential medical team member would remain within the minister`s quick reach at all times to make sure she was not having any problem performing her normal activities.

"One of the presidential medical team members will always accompany me. I know it is part of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s support for and attention to me," Endang said at a special press conference at her office to clarify her health condition.

In the company of echelon-I officials, the health minister explained her real health condition to confirm media reports that she had lung cancer.

But she did not go into detail of her illness which was detected in October 2010 during her annual regular medical check up.

Endang said President Yudhoyono was the first party to whom she reported her health condition to gain support from the head of state.

"The form of president support is that he permits me to have a medical checkup abroad once in a while. The president and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono also pray for my recuperation, and for me it is an extraordinary attention from the head of state and his family," said the ailing health minister.

In carrying out her tasks as minister, Endang admitted that she was not given a special concession but she was able to do her job normally because the disease she was suffering from was not showing any noticeable symptom.

The health minister at present is under medical supervision at Gatot Subroto and Gading Pluit hospitals in Jakarta, and a hospital in Guangzhou, China.

In line with an issue surrounding cabinet reshuffle, the health minister was reluctant to comment too much but said it would depend on the president.
(Uu.O001/HAJM/F001/P003)

Reporter:
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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