How to Improve Radiation Safety and Quality of Radiation Therapy in Medical Institutions: Fifth Meeting of Interdepartmental Working Group

The fifth meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group of experts on radiation protection in medicine on 29 November 2019 was chaired by Antonina Myshkovska, Head of the SNRIU Radiation Safety Department.

Head of the Central Laboratory for Radiological Health of Medical Personnel and Patients of the Grygoryev Institute for Medical Radiology Larysa Stadnyk informed meeting participants about the results of the questionnaire passed in the Directory of Rаdiotherapy Centre (DIRAC) system by medical institutions using radiation therapy.

Based on these data, as well as the results of the third cycle of the national thermoluminescent dosimetric quality audit (TLD audit) of dosimetric calibration for jets of remote gamma-therapy devices, experts discussed the options for radiation safety optimization in medical institutions and priority areas to increase radiation therapy effectiveness.

Effectiveness was considered simultaneously with an increase in the level of radiation safety and quality control in medical radiology. This topic was considered in the speech of leading specialist of the SSTC NRS Emergency Preparedness and Radiation Monitoring Department Yevgeniya Kudriashova. The meeting participants agreed deadlines for the development of methodological guideline “Quality Control Program for X-ray Diagnostic Equipment in Projection X-ray Diagnostics” and the main stages of quality audit implementation.

In the same context, Yuriy Kovalenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Oncology and Radiation Safety of the Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, presented program of the EuroSafe Imaging European Congress “Twelve Steps to Improve Imaging Safety in Medical Radiology in Practice” (“Call for actions” “)

Experts also discussed recommendations to reduce exposure dose of patients and ensure quality of x-ray images using up-to-date digital x-ray equipment as an example, identified priority areas in medical radiology and ways to implement them.

Yelyzaveta Kulich (Training and Research Center of Radiation Safety of the Shevchenko Kyiv National University) told the meeting participants about the results of the VIII International Conference “Medical Physics: Current State, Issues, and Development Ways. The Latest Technologies”, and Ruslan Zelinskyi (President of  the Ukrainian Association of Medical Physicists) reported on the continuation of establishing the school for professional theoretical and practical training of medical physicists in Ukraine and noted the need for the participation of medical physicists, engineers, doctors in implementing international training projects.

The attendees were also familiarized with the amendments to Article 17 of the Law of Ukraine “On Human Protection against Ionizing Radiation”, which prohibit transport to the territory of Ukraine, production and putting X-ray and radiological equipment into operation that does not meet the requirements established by this law.