ISLAMABAD: Director General International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mr. Yukiya Amano, on Monday said they are strengthening cancer hospitals in developing countries to provide treatment facilities to patients at par with the International standard.
“Pakistan has well equipped hospitals, pool of experts on this disease and has much more facilities as compare to its neighboring and regional countries but still it needed to do more”, DG commented.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of three-day international conference on “PAEC-IAEA: International Conference on Advances in Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine”, being organized at Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), he said almost 25 countries of South Africa, did not have any adequate equipment for the treatment, lacking any dedicated cancer center.
IAEA was deeply involved to establish hospitals in such areas the DG said adding, besides equipment, training of staff and continuous upgradation of the current centers is also imperative.
He further said, safety precaution should also be adopted during treatment as the radiations affects human health and environment if not used properly.
The DG IAEA, also inaugurated Radiation Oncology Suite at NORI hospital. The conference is organized by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in collaboration with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Earlier, presenting the welcome address, Director NORI cancer hospital Islamabad, Dr. Muhammad Faheem, apprised the participants that 19 hospitals of PAEC are rendering services to 80 percent cancer patients in different parts of the country including a newly established hospital in Gilgit with latest technology and equipment under the supervision of highly trained physicians and technical staff.
The conference was focused on modern techniques in Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine aiming to achieve precision in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Simultaneous sessions of Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine would be held during the conference. The participants would bag rich enlightenment by interacting with experienced foreign experts during the moot.
The conference had both theoretical and practical session and would help the participants improve knowledge in the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment. As a founding member, Pakistan has a deep cooperation with IAEA in areas of nuclear power, individual application of nuclear techniques, non-destructive oncology and nuclear medicine, environment protection and isotope hydrology. Official stay of IAEA chief is of key national interest for Pakistan as many as new venues of cooperation may be explored during the visit.
Chairman PAEC, Muhammad Naeem, Member Science, Iqbal Hussain Khan , foreign experts, officials of PAEC and physicians of oncology across the country attended the inaugural ceremony. Around 150 experts comprising of Radiation Oncologists, Clinical Oncologists, Nuclear Physicians, Medical Physicists and Radiotherapy Technologists from PAEC and other cancer hospitals of the country would participate in the three-day conference which would conclude on March 14, (Wednesday).
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