2.         As provided in this Act “The Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board” is appointed as the Competent Authority by the Central Govt to regulate radiation safety matters in the country. The regulation is largely by way of licensing and authorization. Until 2004 this was implemented based on the general frame work laid down in the Radiation Protection Rules 1971 which has been superceded by the Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules 2004 (GSR 303).

3.         AERB has constituted advisory committees of experts from the particular field to develop specific Codes to implement the RPR 2004. The purpose of the Code is to assist the employers on how to comply with RPR.

4.         The salient features of the Rules relevant to the field of Nuclear Medicine:

A Nuclear Medicine facility should not be operated without a “licence” which is to be issued within 180 days of the date of receipt of the application and the validity period for a licence is (supposed to be) five years.

AERB deals only with the owner of a facility who is defined as “Employer”. The Employer is to nominate one full time employee of the organization as “Licensee” to interact with AERB. All regulatory permits, particularly the “NOC to import isotopes” and the “Authorization to procure isotopes from BRIT” are issued in the name of the “Licensee” who represents the Employer. Every facility should have a full time RSO-Technologist and an affiliated Nuclear Physician ( not necessarily full time). Alternatively if the physician is the RSO for the facility, Technologist need not possess RSO certification.

5.         Day to day enforcement of the regulations is to be carried out by the Radiological Safety Division of AERB which is currently headed by Shri SP Agarwal and assisted by Smt Nagalakshmi who is in-charge of Nuclear Medicine.

6.         The first Safety Code on Nuclear Medicine Laboratories was released by AERB in 1989. AERB released a revised Code in 2001: Code med-4 which is again being revised after the in put from ANMPI.

7.         Three years of our interaction with AERB has resulted in the following developments:

- Training in Nuclear Medicine Technology from CMC Vellore and MAHE Manipal has been accepted.

- Workers with field experience have been accredited by AERB to work as Technologists.

- Nuclear Medicine physicians are accepted as affiliated physicians in multiple facilities.

- Transportation of radioactivity (Tc99m) for use in sub-units has been made possible with prior permission from AERB.

8.             Pending issues: ANMPI had a meeting with the Chairman AERB on Feb 28, 2005 to discuss the pending issues. As minuted in the meeting, Dr Thirumurthy has submitted the write up required for the “graded approach” and Senior Nuclear Physicians have filed their application for RSO certification based on their experience. No favourable action has been taken on these so far. Chairman AERB instead suggested a Joint Seminar to discuss these issues in a panel which was accepted and held at Niyamak Bhavan Mumbai on 28^th Dec 2006. Certain changes in the policy of AERB are expected as an outcome of the Seminar. (See Report posted on the Home Page).