KARACHI:Employees, support staff and trainees working in radiology departments of public sector hospitals in Karachi are performing their duties without safety equipment which are mandatory to protect them from dangerous radiological rays, PPI learnt on Monday.
The Radiology Departments in many government hospitals are being run without Radiation Protection Officers (RPOs) whereas technicians and other staff generally perform duties without proper safety equipment.
A senior official at Civil Hospital Karachi while talking to PPI said all protection equipment are available for technicians but many technicians and other staff do not wear radiation protection equipment during duty hours.
He said administration has issued strict guideline for technicians and support staff for implementation on safety plan during duty hours in order to protect employees from dangerous rays.
Radiation Protection Officer (RPO) Muhammad Tariq, said radiation is an energy which travels in form of particular rays. He said safety measures and safety equipment are necessary for employees working in radiology department to protect them from directly contracting diseases from dangerous rays discharged from diagnostic machines.
He said some equipment like lead apron, film badges, thyroid shields, lead barriers or screen, lead gloves and lead eye glasses protect employees from direct radiation of rays and also minimize its severity. He said penetration power of gamma camera rays more dangerous as compared to X-ray.
He said there are two types of radiation related side-effects including deterministic effects and stochastic effects. He said technicians can contract diseases like cancer, arthritis, cell deaths, sterility, tissues mutation and others diseases if proper safety measures are not taken and equipment are not worn during duty hours.
He informed that person contracting diseases due to radiation rays should be rested for minimum three months on the recommendation RPO. He said lead apron and lead screen necessary for staff working X-ray department.
He stressed the need of appointment of RPO officers in radiology departments and organizing awareness lectures for staff in order to protect them from dangerous rays. He said strict administration is needed to implement safety measures in radiation department of public sector hospitals across the city.