The two-day event was jointly organised by the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), the International Organisation for Medical Physics (IOMP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO).The event was held in cooperation with the Middle East Federation of Organisations of Medical Physics and HMC.
The workshop focused on the establishment and maintenance of a radiation safety culture in the healthcare community in Qatar and the Middle East. Distinguished speakers from the region’s leading international organisations presented diverse and enriching views on the topic.
The exercise was attended by around 150 participants comprising representatives from radiation regulatory bodies, health authorities, health professionals, manufacturers, and patient associations from across the globe.
Dr Huda al-Naemi, executive director, Occupational Health and Safety Department at HMC, said that the objective of the workshop was to create an enabling environment for promoting basic science, applied research and clinical applications.
“Other aims of the workshop included advancing the cause of our organisation in line with Qatar’s National Development Strategy and in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030,” she explained.
“The organisation aims to gather the opinions of stakeholders towards the development of a document that will serve as guidance for the establishment and maintenance of a radiation safety culture in the healthcare setting,” said Dr al-Naemi.
“By reinforcing educational awareness, we want to ensure that our staff are radiation safety conscious in their day-to-day job of handling ionised radiation for diagnosis, image guiding and treatment. With simple behavioural changes, they can be confident in their abilities to create good occupational and environmental health. We also hope to create awareness among residents of Qatar as part of our efforts to establish and maintain a radiation safety culture in the country’s healthcare sector,” she added.
Participants of the radiation safety workshop.
The Department of Occupational Health and Safety at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently concluded the fourth regional workshop on 'Radiation Safety Culture in Healthcare'.
