The state needs a centre which provides awareness about the hazards of radiation, said Excise Minister K Babu. He was inaugurating a workshop on Radiation Safety and Quality Assurance in Medical Imaging in Kochi on Monday.
The minister said strict scrutiny was necessary to ensure that X-ray units followed the required mandates. “There was a time when people were unaware of diseases like cancer. But things have changed. People are fully aware of the hazards of radiation. A centre which creates awareness among people is the need of the hour. It could be either in Thrissur or Ernakulam or in any other parts of central Kerala,” Babu said.
The workshop was organised under the aegis of Directorate of Radiation Safety in association with Central Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
District Medical Officer Dr Junaid Rahman presided over the meet. Former Director of Medical Education K T Thomas Kannampillil spoke. Around 150 radiological technologists from Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Alappuzha took part in the workshop. Experts from Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, Central Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin Co-operative Medical College, Ernakulam General Hospital and Radiation Safety Directorate took classes.