91 radioactive facilities operating without licence

What you need to know:

  • Issue. Some facilities do not meet the basic minimum safety requirements

Kampala.

At least 91 health, industrial and other facilities are operating radiation sources, including X-ray services, without permission and licence from the Atomic Energy Council, risking the lives of those seeking the services.
The council has now cautioned the public against seeking services from such facilities.
A total of 274 facilities are licensed to operate radiation sources, which include computerised tomography, smoke detectors and nuclear density gauges.(See list on opposite page)
“The public is advised to seek services only from facilities authorised by Atomic Energy Council. Seeking services from unauthorized facilities poses a high risk of being unnecessarily exposed to ionising radiation which may cause adverse health effects. These facilities in most cases do not meet the basic minimum safety requirements,” the notice warns.
The list, which sources within the council said was last updated in March this year indicates that at least 23 government regional referral and district hospitals are among those affected. Another 50 facilities are operating with expired licences.
Uganda Cancer Institute that hosts the country’s only cancer machine is on the list of unlicensed facilities. When put to the executive director Dr Jackson Oryem, he said the Atomic Energy Council must be able to explain.
“Please ask them. Why haven’t they come to close us if we are operating without licence and authorisation?” he asked.
Kiruddu General Referral Hospital, Mbale, Gulu, Fort Portal and Hoima Regional Referral Hospitals are some of the government hospitals operating without licences.
Also on the list are the Parliament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uganda National Roads Authority, Office of the Prime Minister, and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.

Challenge
Mr Deo Sekyangi, the senior radiation control officer at the Atomic Energy Council, said it has always been a challenge, dealing with the issues of licence.
He said while they are very strict with the radioactive sources, sometimes they show leniency with X-ray and other machines that may not emit so much radiation.
“Most of these facilities with radiation sources have licences, and some have not renewed their expired licences because of lack of funding. But we don’t compromise on the ones with radioactive sources. We enforce and close you immediately. I think you have seen us closing down X-ray machines on many occasions,” Mr Sekyangi said.
Mr Deogratias Noah Luwalira, the Chief Executive Officer of the council, in a public notice said a total of 334 valid licences for possess- and-use have been issued to 274 facilities out of 394 active facilities listed in the databases. “Some facilities are not yet licensed majorly because they do not meet the basic regulatory requirements to ensure radiation safety and radiation protection of the workers and the general public in these facilities,” he said.
Users respond
Mr Mark Ssali, the head of corporate affairs at UNRA, said they don’t have any facility that uses radiation source, but added that a contractor left one machine for which they constructed a bunker for its storage.
“UNRA is not operating facilities with radiation sources. We received nuclear density gauges from contractors who had finished works and constructed an underground bunker which was inspected and approved by the Atomic Energy Council.”
Mr Ssali said since they were not using the gauges, there was no need to apply for a licence because the facility is safely kept away from the public.
“The obligation of monitoring use of the gauges by our contractors lies with the Council. We have since shared with them a list of our contractors for their follow-up. So we shouldn’t be on the non-compliance list.” Ambassador Patrick Mugoya, the Foreign Affairs ministry permanent secretary, said he was not aware that his ministry had machines that use radiation sources within its premises. “I am not aware about this, may be the undersecretary and the other technical people are aware. Let me fire inquire from them and I will let you know,” he said.