Health employees safe from radiation: MoH

 

 

A nationwide study has found that there is minimal risk to the health of medical staff exposed to radiation while on duty due to a radioactive emergency plan launched recently by the UAE Ministry of Health.

 

Dr. Mahmoud Fikri, Assistant Undersecretary for Preventive Medicine Department at the MoH, said 1,572 employees who have been involved in the study were exposed to doses of radiation that is below the internationally allowed limits.

He associated this development to the MoH’s initiative to implement radioactive emergency plans that will ensure a zero radiation environment in UAE hospitals.

''The ministry has been enforcing all procedures needed to safely handle radioactive isotopes and radioactive wastes generated during treatment procedures. This move will assure full protection of patients, employees, and others from radiation caused by diagnostic and therapeutic medical equipment,” he said.

The official said the preventive measures follow international safety standards in ensuring that healthcare workers and patients are exposed to the least possible harm from radiation therapies.

He said the ministry would continue introducing similar services that would safeguard the health of its employees from the risks of radiation.

"Saving medial staff from the harms of radiation has become a dire need," he said, noting that a variety of services use equipment that emit radiation.

Diagnostic devices such as orthopantogram, computed tomography scan, mammogram, and surgical procedures for bone fractures, kidney injuries, endoscopes, blood vessels scan, and catheterisation laboratory are the major sources of radiation in healthcare facilities.

“During their daily duty, physicians, radiologists, technicians and nurses in various hospitals and health centres are always exposed to ultraviolet rays. The MoH, however, is striving to maintain good quality of health of our employees by providing all hospitals with radiation detectors,” he said.

 

The official added that about 3,000 radiation particle detectors were distributed to hospitals to measure the health workers' exposure to radiation while on duty. (Wam)