SHILLONG, FEB 12: Meghalaya health minister AL Hek directed the health department to immediately obtain the license from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) even as he said that the treatment for cancer patients will continue in the Shillong Civil hospital.
Hek told newsmen after a high level review meeting with the officials of the health department on Thursday, “I have directed the department to obtain the license from the AERB immediately for the purpose of conducting the radiotherapy treatment.”
Hek said the department has assured that it would be applying for the license by tomorrow. According to him, the electrometer (a radiotherapy machine) is functioning smoothly but the problem is only due to absence of the license, which is mandatory to obtain from the AERB.
Earlier, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board – Radiological Safety Division (AERB-RSD) in its letter issued on January last month, directed the Civil hospital authority not to admit new cancer patients saying that it has not –complied to safety code on “radiation”.
In its letter, the AERB – RSD has also pointed out the inspection report conducted on December last year in the radiotherapy department of the Civil Hospital has pointed out various discrepancies.
The letter stated, “The approved radiological safety officer is not available in the radiotherapy department (Civil Hospital) and that the secondary standard dosimeter used for output measurement of telecobalt unit is not working due to the nonfunctional electrometer.”
Hek said the treatment for cancer patients will continue as there are many other treatments for such patients. He asserted, “We cannot stop admitting patient form giving them treatment just because of one reason as all these years the machine for the treatment was functioning smoothly.”
Hek further directed the Civil hospital authority to address the problem in case of any failure and non-functional of any machinery in the hospital and ensure that patients do not suffer.
Hek said,“The hospital authority is directed to replace and restore if any there id non-functional machines from its own funds instead of waiting for the state government and the same amount spend can be then send to the state government for reimbursement.”- By Our Reporter
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