Sunday, February 8, 2015

Professional Status of Medical Physicists in Nepal

 Professional Status of Medical Physicists in Nepal
                                                                                            
                                                                         
Introduction
Early in the 20th century, the introduction of ionizing radiation into medicine mainly established the role of physicists in health sectors. Charles Philips, honorary physicist to the Royal Cancer Hospital in London, is regarded as the first medical physicist, although he had no formal qualifications. But in 1913, Sidney Russ became the first medical physicist formally appointed by British hospital, the Middlesex hospital in London. In context of Nepal, the activities of medical physicist began after 1991 AD. Mr.Praduman Prasad Chaurasia is the first medical physicist of Nepal.  He is also founder president of neplese association of medical physicist( NAMP) formally registered in 2009.
Number of medical physicists
There are more than 150 hospitals throughout the country. But very few have radiotherapy department where mainly medical physicists have been appointed.presently 9 physicists are in radiotherapy and only one in diagnostic imaging at TU teaching hospital Mahrajganj, Kathamdu. All are male.Kathmandu Cancer Care and Research Center (KCCRC), Nepal Cancer Hospital  and Research Centre(NCHR) and other are going to start RT service with more advanced technology. Therefore, there are rays of hopes for medical physicists.

Hospital
No.of medical physicist
Department
v  BP Koirala Memerial Cancer Hopital,Chiwan
v  Bhaktpur Cancer Hospital,Bhaktpur
v  Bir Hospital
v  Manipal teahing Hospital
v  TU teaching Hospital, kathmandu
v  Four
v  Two
v  one
v  one
v  one

v   Radiation oncology(radiotherapy)
v  Radiotherapy
v  Radiotherapy
v  Radiotherapy
v  Radio diagnostic

Education and training
To be qualified medical physicists, one should have master degree in physics from a recognized university. Besides this, he/she must have diploma in radiological physics or in aggregate one year training in medical physics or three working experience in a radiotherapy/diagnostic department of a recognized institution/hospital or master/PhD degree  in medical physics. We are proud to mention that we all meet above qualifications and we have gained trainings from internationally recognized institutes like ICTP, IAEA,AIIMS and others. It is very sad to mention, that very few that have PhD study, are not in Nepal because they did not get opportunity according to their knowledge.


Challenges for medical physicist
v   Till now here is no M.Sc. course in medical/ radiation physics.
v  we depends on foreign resources to get expertise in medical physics, which too is rare event.
v  There is not  professional council to certify the medical physicist as other health profession but our society  ‘‘NEPALESE ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL PHYSICIST(NAMP)” consider who can be qualified medical physicists.
v  We medical physicist have not also legal right to perform RSO/RPO activities independently.
v  Nepal has not yet regulatory body/Nuclear act despite being a member of IAEA .
v   Many Medical colleges have MD radiology/radiotherapy course of three years but hardly one or two have medical physicist faculty like manipal teaching hospital, pokhara.
v  Maximum radiographer course are conducted without radiation physics faculties.
v  There are no single physicists in radio diagnosis department in Nepal for Quality assurance and radiation protection.
Current Needs
Nepal has to implement  a lot to improve the medical physics professional status
v  To start medical physics programs(M.Sc. and PhD)
v  To conduct examination for medical physicist to provide license as other health professional
v   To strat formal awareness programs throughout the nation.
v  To form regulatory body according to nuclear act, which must define role and responsibility of radiation worker like medical physicist, radiation oncologist, radiologists and others.
v  To stop the brain-drain by providing facilities and research environment.
v  To appoint the medical physicist/RSO/RPO with all equipments of quality assurance (QA) in each diagnostic department of hospital/ medical college/ in ministry of health to start the radiation audit program.
v  To implement rules/guidelines of IAEA for all radiation activities.

International institution/ society should  also support by giving more opportunity to Nepalese student/ medical physicist for further study in medical physics like M.Sc and PhD.   NAMP has more responsibility to enhance the status of medical physics profession by spreading knowledge of good and bad effects of radiation on human beings in health sectors, industry, and agriculture etcetera.
Ram Narayan Yadav
                                                                               Medical Physicist
BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hopital

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