New Rules for Using Radiation Sources in Medicine

New regulatory requirements for radiation safety in medicine were presented on 10 August 2016. The experts of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS) and the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) presented the regulatory documents on radiation safety and new safety rules for using radiation sources in medicine in general and in brachytherapy in particular.

Today, the area of using radiation sources for medical purposes aimed at diagnosis and therapy requires significant reforming. Until now, the industry is regulated by USSR documents or departmental orders of the Ministry of Health dated 90ies. Besides, medical radiation technologies show rapid progress and the sphere of using radiation sources in medicine extends a lot.

In medicine, not only personnel require protection against hazardous exposure, but also patients who periodically undergo treatment and diagnosis. At present, more than ten thousand medical experts work with radiation sources in Ukraine. About 80 thousand people a year undergo treatment applying radiation sources and nearly 20 million people undergo diagnosis. It should be noted that medical personnel receive the highest doses during brachytherapy procedures.

Given the situation, SSTC NRS and SNRIU experts developed new safety rules for using radiation sources in medicine with the support of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA). The provisions define general requirements for radiation safety of radiation sources for medical purpose, radiation protection of personnel and patients, prevention of wrong or emergency medical exposure.

The presentation was made for representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and leading medical institutions that use the latest radiation technologies.

Uatom.org Editorial Board