PNRA plans training workshops on radiation protection

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is organising training workshops on "Radiation protection and quality assurance in diagnostic and intervention radiology. One of these workshops will be held at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi from May 9 to 13 while the second workshop will be held at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore from May 16 to 20. The participants of the workshops include medical personnel from all major medical centres belonging to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, government and private hospitals where diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy is being carried out.
Operation of medical facilities not only require high standard of training to the relevant staff but also require implementation of stringent safety measures to avoid undue exposure to the patients, workers and the public.
Such incidents although low in number were experienced internationally, either due to negligence of the workers or due to lack of quality assurance programme in the diagnostic and therapeutic radiology.
One such example was the Panama incident where a large number of patients were over-exposed during radiotherapy due to problems in quality assurance programme.
To avoid such situations in the country, PNRA has embarked on a programme to impart quality training to the personnel administering such treatment to the patients.
Through these workshops, the experts will enlighten the participants about the latest international techniques and procedures being practised in this field. The experts will deliver lectures on occupational, medical and public exposures along with measures to avoid over-exposures to the patients, radiation workers and the public.
The lectures will also identify the methods of acquiring a good quality management system in the diagnostic and intervention radiology.
The experts will also assist the participants in developing procedures to implement good quality assurance practices in their relevant institutions. The issue of patient dose assessment and minimisation is also included in the workshop lectures. Private organisations will be provided excellent opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills by interacting with experts of international repute.