Protection and Monitoring of Ionizing Radiation - Nuclear Medicine

The advancement in technology has resulted into development of Telethrapy and X-ray machine which has high potential hazards of ionizing radiation to user and patient exposed. Ionizing radiations are referred as gamma rays photons. X-rays can cause conjunctivitis and sterility. Ionization radiation is hazard both in radiotherapy and nuclear medicine department. The energy of this radiation is around 10eV, higher the energy of radiation greater is hazard because of penetration into tissues the basic protection rule is either move way from source of radiation or put absorber in between. These equipments are tools of diagnostics, therefore international commission on radiological protection (ICRP) ha recommended that exposure to radiation be kept minimum. Designing of teletherapy facilities play important role in protection and monitoring of radiations. The author has analyzed the protective measures and monitoring of radiations in various hospitals in public and private sector in Rawalpindi / Islamabad Pakistan. It has been observed that only in military hospitals strict protective and monitoring measurers are taken against radiations but in other public and private sector hospitals such measure are compromised due to lack of proper awareness. Pakistan nuclear regulatory authority (PNRA) is taking measures for ensuring protective and monitoring measurer against radiations and arousing awareness to all concerns.