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Monday, May 07, 2012
The Ministry of Health wishes to assure the national population that it is committed to ensuring a proper investigation is done into the alleged linear accelerator radiation overexposure of patients at the Brian Lara Cancer Treatment Centre. This is in line with the government’s vision of People-Centred Development, and that high quality health care is a basic right of each and every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) IAEA Assistance Mission visited Trinidad between January 23rd to 27th 2012:
- To undertake a medical examination and assessment for a patient group of the overexposed patients consisting of approximately 10% of the total number of 223 patients who may have been overexposed;
To provide advice on the medical treatment to be administered to the patients who are to receive medical examination and treatment;
To evaluate the extent to which past recommendations made to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GovTT) by previous PAHO/IAEA missions have been implemented; and
To gather, record and evaluate information on the event and compile appropriate records for a possible future formal accident report.
Further to this the Ministry advises that it:
- Will fully implement the recommendations made by the January 2012 IAEA Assistance Mission for follow up medical treatment to be administered to the overexposed patients;
Will engage the services of IAEA Assistance Mission to return to conduct a formal accident report which will determine the consequences or potential consequences from the point of view of protection or safety from any unintended event, including operating errors, equipment failures and other mishaps; and
Is currently seeking IAEA membership through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications so that it can benefit from further support in other areas.
The Ministry of Health will continue to work with the respective individuals and organizations to assist us in these objectives to ensure the continued health and safety of the public.
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