NNRA MOVES AGAINST FEDERAL TEACHING HOSPITALS OPERATING ILLEGAL COBALT-60 BRACHYTHERAPY EQUIPMENT

NNRA MOVES AGAINST FEDERAL TEACHING HOSPITALS OPERATING ILLEGAL COBALT-60 BRACHYTHERAPY EQUIPMENT

The NNRA summoned and held an enforcement Meeting with six federal teaching hospitals over non-compliance with regulatory requirements governing the safe use of ionizing radiation in medical diagnosis and treatment. The hospitals include:

Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), National Hospital Abuja (NHA), University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, and Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH)

The meeting followed regulatory inspections conducted by the NNRA, which revealed various infractions such as operating without valid authorization, inadequate radiation protection arrangements, and failure to meet prescribed safety standards thereby endangering patients, workers and the general public. Another infraction uncovered was the possession of High Dose Cobalt-60 brachytherapy equipment which was illegally acquired and haphazardly put into use, posing significant safety and security concerns.

Speaking during the meeting,  the DG of NNRA, Dr. Yau Idris, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to enforcing compliance and ensuring the protection of life, health, property and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. He stated that the risks associated with Medical radioactive sources like cobalt-60 includes;

• Security risks,  where unauthorized access to these sources could lead to malicious use, potentially causing harm,
• Health and environmental risks where improper storage or disposal can lead to exposure to ionizing radiation, affecting health and the environment.

The meeting was attended by the NNRA Management, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD/CBRN)  Ms. Hauwa Ibrahim and representative of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The contractor of the High Dose Cobalt-60 brachytherapy equipment, Stepcho Nigeria Limited (SNL) was also summoned and in attendance. SNL was contracted to import, design, construct and hand over the brachytherapy equipment to the hospitals; however,  all the representatives of the invited hospitals confirmed that the process was not properly executed. Consequently, the DG of NNRA showed deep concern, cautioning the contractor about the security risks associated with their action which could lead to theft and malicious use of these radioactive sources in radiological dispersal devices (RDDs) or radiological exposure devices (REDs), causing public harm and contamination.

Brachytherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses radioactive isotopes like Cobalt-60 to deliver a high dose of radiation directly to a tumor. This is a form of internal radiotherapy, where a source is placed temporarily inside the body, and is often used to boost external beam radiation therapy, particularly for gynecological cancers like cervical cancer.