A former X-ray technician will be taking legal action against Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) for alleged lapses in standard operating procedures (SOPs) resulting in a "cancer cluster".
Universiti Malaya, which has jurisdiction over the medical centre, has denied all allegations.
Nur Fauzia Abdul Razak, who used to work at the UMMC nuclear medicine unit, said her lawyer will soon release details of a press conference on the matter.
While speaking at a press conference at Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) this morning, Nur Fauzia (above, centre) said she had been diagnosed with stage four of Hodgkin lymphoma - an uncommon cancer affecting white blood cells, which is a part of the immune system.
Three staff members have also been diagnosed with lung cancer, leukaemia, and breast cancer, while four others have been diagnosed with thyroid diseases, she said.
"More alarmingly, the breast cancer patient was forced to undergo a caesarean section for a premature birth before undergoing a mastectomy - the surgical removal of breast tissue for cancer treatment.
"All affected staff are from (UMMC's) radiology department," she added.
She claimed that this followed the installation of a positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) machine at the hospital several years ago.
Since then, there has been a drastic increase in the number of staff falling ill with radiation-related sicknesses, she alleged.
She further claimed that there are attempts to cover up the issue.
She displayed a letter dated Oct 19, 2025, from the Medical Radiation Surveillance Division (BKRP), the agency in charge of enforcing compliance with the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984, purportedly saying that an investigation found no procedural violations.
"Based on a review of the records of periodic medical examination reports, individual radiation dose reporting and inspections of equipment and work procedures, it was found that no safety issues were identified as stated in the complaint, and that all safety measures and compliance with the Atomic Energy Licensing Act were in order.
"All readings and controls related to radiation exposure were also within the permissible range, in accordance with the Atomic Energy Licensing (Basic Safety Radiation Protection) Regulations 2010," the division stated.
However, she alleged that this directly contradicted an earlier meeting she attended with BKRP officers, where they acknowledged that her illness is a side-effect of long-term radiation.
SOP violations
Nur Fauzi further claimed that the division's four enforcement officers had also admitted that there were SOP violations at the hospital's department.
She alleged that the lapse in SOPs had exposed staff and patients to radiation due to insufficient safeguards.
Patients were not restricted from entering radiation areas, she claimed, providing the example of a public lift in her former department that was located too close to radiation equipment.
Patients would also frequently be found waiting in such areas, she added.
She expressed concerns that inadequate measures to quarantine patients could expose other hospital visitors to doses of radiation.
As for staff, she claimed that they were not provided with full personal protective equipment (PPE) despite working with gamma-ray radiation.
So far, she said she has met with and briefed Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil's political secretary about the matter.
A meeting with the lawmaker, who is also the communications minister, is expected to follow soon, she said.
During the press conference, representatives from the Reformasi Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi Secretariat listed out 10 demands for the authorities:
An independent and transparent investigation,
a comprehensive audit of all radiation equipment,
implementation of a radiation dose monitoring system for all relevant staff,
guaranteed protection for all workers, patients, and visitors,
continuous radiation safety training,
accountability from the hospital management,
free medical treatment, psychosocial support, and financial compensation for affected staff and their families,
upgrades to infrastructure and procedures,
an official meeting with the BKRP, and
an official explanation from the radiation protection officer and hospital management.
The student activists warned that they will not hesitate to organise protests over the matter should the authorities ignore their demands.
No violations, says UM
In a statement denying the allegations, the university referred to the inspection held in October last year as evidence that no SOPs were violated and that UMMC complied with regulations.
"PET-CT scanning operations are carried out in accordance with strict safety standards.
"Radiation exposure levels are in accordance with set and controlled standards.
"All radiation workers are required to wear personal dosimeters.
"Official records show that employee radiation exposure is much lower and below the gazetted dose limits.
"Periodic health checks are carried out according to the set schedule," it said.
It asserted that UMMC fully complies with radiation protection programme SOPs, as well as the Atomic Energy Licensing Act, Atomic Energy Licensing (Basic Safety Radiation Protection) Regulations, and Atomic Energy Licensing (Radioactive Waste Management) Regulations 2011. - Mkini
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