GNNA reporter and GNNA Editor
Gulu
The Atomic Energy Council has warned the public against seeking help from health facilities using unlicensed radiation machines.
Radiation machines such as X-rays send high-energy beams of electrons known as x-ray protons into one’s body, which travel through the air to the body tissues and produce images on a metal film.
Officials at Atomic Energy Council, say unlicensed machines such as CT scans, X-ray, and mammography can expose patients to more health risks and complications.
The Executive Director (ED) Atomic Energy Council Noah Deogratias Luwalira, says nuclear safety is a critical passport to public safety, health, and security.
Luwalira urged the masses to be cautious about the benefits and dangers of such machines whenever they go for any service that involves their use.
“Ensure all the safeguards before you accept any exposure. Never use any facility that does not have a license from Atomic Energy Council,’’ Luwalira warned.
Luwalira explains that the license is given as an assurance of the safety of the patient, and operating it without a licence indicates gaps that could cause risks to lives.
“Because of their potentially hazardous properties, the use of certain radioactive materials must be closely regulated to protect the health of the public and the environment,” he said.
The ED made the remarks during the first regional media engagement held in Gulu City.
Grace Kukiriza, a Senior Radiation Protection Officer, Atomic Energy Council, says regulation and licensing apply to both health facilities and factories, which is why upon importation such machines are checked and monitored before installation.
Joshua Birungi, the Protection Officer at the Council, revealed that if the various applications using ionizing radiation are misused, they can cause either short or long-term effects that can lead to death.
Agnes Akello, a mother of two living in Laroo-Pece division, Gulu City, says she has never been warned on the dangers of radiation.
“I had several scans each time I was pregnant and I did not have any idea of the potential dangers of such a machine,” Akello said.
Akello, called upon the council to carry out mass sensitization on such machines.
“In all the health facilities I visited, I have not seen any certification authorizing the use of such machines,” she said.
According to the Atomic Energy Act of Uganda chapter 14, no person shall use a building to install or use any irradiating device or use or store any radioactive material without a certificate of compliance issued under these regulations.
