Ministry finds no critical breaches of radiation SOPs at UMMC

 Ministry rubbishes claims of radiation safety breaches in the radiology department causing a 'cancer cluster' in the teaching hospital.

UMMC had said its PET-CT machine was always operated according to strict procedures, with the level of radiation exposure under control and according to set standards.

PETALING JAYA:

 The health ministry has cleared University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) of allegations of SOP breaches in its radiology department, purportedly causing a cluster of cancer cases among staff members.

The science, technology and innovation ministry said the health ministry’s medical radiation surveillance division launched an investigation after the allegations were raised last week.

“The health ministry did not find any critical breach in radiation safety procedures that can be linked to claims of a ‘cancer cluster’ in the unit,” it said in a statement.

It said licensing for radioactive substances and radiation-emitting devices for non-medical purposes fell under the atomic energy department, and those for medical purposes were under the health ministry.

“The atomic energy department and medical radiation surveillance division remain committed to ensuring the safety of radiation workers and the public,” it said.

At a press conference last week, a former UMMC radiographer, Nur Fauziah Abdul Razak, claimed she had developed Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of cancer – because of SOP breaches at the hospital.

Fauziah claimed that years after the hospital installed a PET-CT machine, three of the staff members suffered from various types of cancer, while another four were suffering from thyroid-related diseases.

All seven affected were attached to the radiology department, she said.

UMMC denied the allegations, saying its PET-CT machine was always operated according to strict security procedures, with the level of radiation exposure under control and according to set standards.

The hospital also said all staff members who worked with the machine were required to be equipped with personal dosimeters, while official records show that each person’s level of exposure to radiation was far lower than the gazetted dose. - FMT