Directorate of radiation safety in state soon

To keep tabs on facilities that use X-rays and ensure they are regulated, the government is all set to establish a Directorate of Radiation Safety soon. In future, this body will take care of radiation safety throughout the State.

This comes following a Supreme Court mandate to establish Directorate of Radiation Safety (DRS) in every state. On Saturday, a MoU was signed between the state government and the (AERB), Mumbai, for the purpose.

The AERB currently conducts inspections and monitors the facilities that use X-Ray equipment. In the state, there are over 20,000 X-ray facilities, both government and private health facilities. The DRS will support AERB in monitiring radiation safety.

The AERB’s mandate is to ensure that the use of ionising radiation and nuclear energy does not cause undue risk to the health of the people and environment. Medical use of X-rays for diagnosis and treatment has proven to be beneficial to society at large.

However, unsafe use of X-ray radiation has health risks associated with it and hence, it is required that proper care is exercised throughout the life cycle.

AERB also gives licences for cancer hospitals to conduct radiotherapy procedures. Besides examinations of the facility to ensure there are no leaks, the Board also has the responsibility of ensuring that radiations do not affect outsiders.