RADIATION NOT WITHIN DEPARTMENT PROCESS

By Kana Noka


 - FM100 NEWS

Health Secretary Pascoe Kase says the radiation process is not within their control and needs some time to ensure rules and regulations for importing the radiation is properly followed.

Kase tells FM 100 news that the import of radiation is a very dangerous business that is why they need to do it properly as safety is paramount.

The Health Secretary was responding to the call made by the Prime Minister James Marape recently, for the radiation to be set up soon at PNG National Cancer Center at Angau Memorial Hospital.

The National Standard Council or NSC under the Department of Trade must develop regulations to protect how the cobalt will be imported in Papua New Guinea.

The NSC will be the regulator of the radiation, Kase says.

Mr. Kase says the National Department of Health has already identified a lawyer from Western Australia who will be coming to PNG this week to undertake the regulations on how to import the radiation in the country and how it will be managed.

Cancer specialist is also another issue the NDOH is addressing as PNG does not have physicists and oncologists to make the cancer center operational.

The Health Department is organizing an Indian oncologist to come to the country as well as a physicist and an engineer from Sydney, Australia to test the cobalt machine.

Meanwhile, Kase says the immediate action people must take at this point in time is to get early checkup for any diagnosis so that operations must be carried out if any cancerous lump is identified.