Only 21 per cent of the radiological diagnostic machines in Maharashtra are registered with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for following radiation safety norms,as per the institutions estimates. We have 655 registrations in Maharashtra so far. A survey we conducted two years back indicated that there are 3000 X-ray units,including CT scanners,operating in the state, said Dr S A Hussain,Head, Radiological Safety Department at AERB. The countrywide figures are more alarming: only 4,000 machines have so far been registered with the organisation,when the same survey found 60,000 machines operating surreptitiously. The onus is on the management of such clinics to apply for licences,said Dr Om Pal Singh,secretary,AERB. Every clinic using diagnostic machines emitting radiation should apply for a licence from us. The machines should be operated only after obtaining this clearance. He also warned that if specifications on the type of machine,layout,and thickness of walls,doors and ceiling in clinics are not as per AERB guidelines,they could be radiation hazards. In Mumbai,the mushrooming of private clinics with such facilities is linked to a severe shortage in public hospitals. The KEM Hospital and the BYL Nair Hospital are the only two civic hospitals with MRI machines. A year after the standing committee approved the purchase of an MRI scanner for LTMG Hospital in Sion,it is yet to arrive. KEM does an average 30 scans a day and Nair Hospital about 20-22. Dr Ravi Ramakantan,head of the department of radiology at KEM,said the hospital needs at least three MRI machines for its patient load. The BMC is yet to appoint any qualified technicians to run our machine, he said. With MRIs now being prescribed commonly,it has resulted in long waiting lists for patients. Now,the earliest date given for an MRI on a regular case is next January,at both BMC hospitals. Many private diagnostic clinics are strategically situated around government hospitals. We are filling a need. There is no denying it is a conscious decision to operate from around civic hospitals, said Dr Nirav Panchmatia ,consultant radiologist at Magnum Diagnostics in Sion. Many senior radiologists from government hospitals are consultants in private clinics too. Doctors at clinics operating without licences say applying to the AERB is bothersome. The AERB takes anywhere between 6-8 months to process an application. Procuring a form itself is a huge task, said a doctor with a private clinic in Dadar (East). We have been running for over five years,and doctors from government hospitals too recommend our centre. We are not violating any rules. A mere certificate doesnt add credibility. The AERB says the problem is of such a huge scale that decentralising the system is the only way of keeping track. The Supreme Court had given a directive in 2008 stating that every state should establish its own Directorate of Radiation Safety (DRS),said Dr Hussain. Only Kerala,Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have established a DRS so far. We expect licensing to improve drastically in these states once their respective directorates start operating, said Dr Singh.
