Coming out of the deep slumber of over six weeks after Cobalt-60 episode in Delhi, in which one person died due to exposure to radioactive material and six other injured, Delhi Government has issued a guideline to all the heads of the hospitals, medical centres, diagnostic centres, medical labs using radioactive equipments/consumable for its safe disposal for the safety and security of human life.
Delhi’s Health Minister Kiran Walia said that the Principal Secretary (Health) was asked to issue advisory/guidelines for disposal of the radioactive waste and the Pr. Secretary has issued the guidelines read with above said rules ensuring disposal of the radioactive materials.
All hospitals and Health Care Centres who deal in any manner with radioactive waste of any kind have to follow stringent procedures against any radiation exposure to humans. This needs to be given top priority through an effective process of controls.
The Minister has also told the heads of hospitals, medical centres, diagnostic centres, medical labs using radioactive equipments/consumables necessarily to keep a record of all such equipments and consumables in the hospitals/ medical/ diagnostic centres and laboratories so that routine inspections by the competent authority or Government Agencies could be carried out if and when needed.
The Health Minister has asked all concerned to strictly adhere to the relevant sections of the Atomic Energy Act (33 of 1962) and the Rules framed there under namely Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of Radio Active Wastes) Rules , 1987 and Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004, which interalia prescribed detailed guidelines regarding medical exposure, potential exposure, personal monitoring, quality control and even go to the extent of appointing radiation workers and Radiological Safety Officers etc. Clearly, adherence to these Rules by medical/diagnostic centres, hospitals etc. is mandated. This also includes adequate surveillance of likely leakages, emergency preparedness, adopting adequate safety norms while decommissioning radiation installations etc. There are penalties prescribed for violation of these rules. The recent detection of radiation exposure has brought to focus the emergent need to safely deal with materials and equipments like radiological and radiotherapy equipments and isotopes used in nuclear medicines etc.
The Minister has also told the heads of hospitals, medical centres, diagnostic centres, medical labs using radioactive equipments/consumables necessarily to keep a record of all such equipments and consumables in the hospitals/ medical/ diagnostic centres and laboratories so that routine inspections by the competent authority or Government Agencies could be carried out if and when needed.