With assistance from an international agency the Ministry of Health is expected to launch an investigation into the Brian Lara Cancer Treatment Centre to determine the cause for conflicting miscalibration reports on a Varian 23 iX linear accelerator.Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said so yesterday while speaking to the media at the opening ceremony for the 19th meeting of Regional General Nursing Councils at Kapok Hotel, Maraval.
He was responding to questions by reporters surrounding the alleged radiation overdosing administered to 218 cancer patients seeking treatment at the Woodbrook facility between June 2009 to June 2010.He said: "What I am going to put in place is a total investigation on everything and also I am thinking of getting the ministry getting involved in investigating the different figures and letting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assist us with deliberations."According to its Web site, the IAEA's vision is to provide a strong, sustainable and visible global nuclear safety and security framework working to protect people, society and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation.
On July 6, Khan made public the findings of an investigation launched by the Pan American Health Organisation into the clinical and calibration procedures of a linear accelerator relating to a suspected radiation dose incident at the centre.The report was submitted in September last year.Khan told the media there was the possibility that "223" cancer patients could face the effects of irradiation resulting from a possible miscalibration of the linear accelerator.However, the centre's deputy chairman Dr Kongshiek Achong Low, during a news conference last Thursday, said there was misinformation circulating in the public domain about the issue.
Achong Low said the maximum calibration at any given time was 13.9 per cent. He also said the number of patients was 218 and not 223 as reported by the ministry.Meanwhile, Senior counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said according to Section Four of the Constitution, Government, as an arm of the State, had to take positive steps to protect and safeguard human life, but Khan said he "hadn't really heard" Maharaj's statements which were issued over the weekend."I will have to look at it and see exactly how we are going to respond," Khan added.