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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