UMMC said its PET-CT machine was always operated according to strict security procedures, with the level of radiation exposure under control and according to set standards.
It said all staff members who work with the machine are required to be equipped with personal dosimeters.
“Official records show that each personnel’s level of exposure to radiation was far lower than the gazetted dose. Periodical health checks were also held according to schedule,” it said in a statement this afternoon.
The teaching hospital said it had fully complied with the SOPs on radiation protection, the Atomic Energy Licensing Act, as well as atomic energy licensing regulations on radiation protection and handling of radioactive waste.
It said the management of radioactive waste is closely monitored and carried out with the approval of the relevant authorities.
It also said checks held by the health ministry’s medical radiation surveillance division in October found no breach of SOPs or regulations.
“Annual licence checks held by the division’s officers also found that everything was above board,” it said.
“UMMC stands ready to be checked by the authorities to ensure continuous compliance with all safety standards and regulations.
“The management guarantees that radiation-related workplace environments are safe and are always being monitored by accredited regulators. We urge all parties against spreading baseless speculation that can cause public unease.”
At a press conference this morning, former UMMC radiographer Nur Fauziah Abdul Razak claimed that she had developed Hodgkin lymphoma disease – a type of cancer – because of SOP breaches at the hospital.
Fauziah claimed that years after the hospital installed a PET-CT machine, three personnel suffered from various types of cancer, while another four were suffering from thyroid-related diseases.
All seven personnel were attached to the radiology department, she said.
She called for an independent investigation to be held and for an extensive audit of the radiology equipment at the UMMC department.