The Occupational Health and Safety Department at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is organising a three-day course titled: Radiation Protection Officer ( RPO) Course until tomorrow at Bayt Al Dhiyafah in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City.
About 40 participants comprising radiation protection officers from across Qatar’s healthcare sector are attending the course organised in line with HMC’s continuous education programme for its healthcare staff.
The first of its kind course on radiation protection procedures features presentations based on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Basic Safety Standards. It also focuses on providing and applying the radiation protection principles in the medical practices by pioneering experts in the field.
Dr. Huda al-Naemi, executive director, Occupational and Environment Safety at HMC and chairperson of the course, said course participants include radiation protection officers who are medical physicists working across all HMC network of hospitals. Other course participants are attending from Qatar Petroleum, Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar Army Clinic, Qatar Police Clinic, Sidra Medical & Research Center and Aspetar Qatar.
Dr al-Naemi explained that to give the participating RPOs a clear understanding of their legal responsibility according to Qatar’s law, the first lecture during the course will be presented by Aisha al-Baker, director of HASMAT and Radiation Protection Department in the Ministry of Environment.
Other course speakers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon include Dr Abdalla al-Haj, chairperson Middle East Federation of Medical Physicist (MEFOMP), Dr Huda al-Naemi, executive director and vice chairperson of MEFOMP, Ahmad I A Hamdan, director of Radiation Protection Directorate Jordan and member of MEFOMP, Dr Laila AlBlooshi, acting head MP Section, Dubai Hospital and member of MEFOMP, Dr Mishary al-Naimi, head of Physics Department Kuwait, and Ibrahim Duhaini, past president of MEFOMP.
Aside exchanging regional experience in the field, speakers would also highlight the legal provisions of radiation protection in their respective countries to reiterate the responsibilities of RPOs.
HMC
