Disposal of radioactive machines remains a challenge

While many hospitals in Delhi suffer from lack of equipment and machines, Safdarjung Hospital is finding it difficult to get rid of their old radiotherapy machine. With a Cobalt 60 machine not functional since 2009, the hospital, with difficulty, has awarded a tender for the disposal of the machine that contains radioactive material.

The hospital, time and again, has been asked to not use their Radiotherapy equipment by the Atomic Energy regulatory Board (AERB) for not complying with the safety guidelines. The machine which has not been in use for more than eight years has a harmful radioactive material -Cobalt 60, which is used in cancer treatment and needs proper disposal.

“We have given a tender for Rs 8,00,000 for the machine to be taken in safe containers to Kota, where scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre will confirm the status and provide a quote for it to be sent to the Canadian company where the nuclear radiator was built,” said Doctor Anil K Rai, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital.

Apart from the disposal of this machine, the hospital is running on only one radiotherapy machine due to the absence of RSOs (Radiation Safety Officers).

As per the AERB guidelines, each machine should …read more