'Massive dysfunctionality' led to isotope crisis: Clement
30.07.2008 04:00
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
A "massive dysfunctionality" of communication between parties contributed to the shortage of medical isotopes in the wake of last year's shutdown of the Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. reactor in Chalk River, Ont., federal Health Minister Tony Clement said. Clement said he’s not surprised by the findings of an independent consultant, who urged better communications between the government, the federal regulator and AECL, the Crown corporation in charge of the reactor that provides two-thirds of the world's radioisotopes. "This crisis couldn’t reach this point unless there was a massive dysfunctionality going on somewhere along the line and clearly, what this report does is illustrate that all along the line there were missed opportunities and miscommunication," Clement told CBC News following the release of the report on Monday. While it was shut down in November 2007 for required maintenance, the Chalk River reactor essentially stopped supplying the nuclear material essential for medical imaging and diagnostic scans for fractures, cancers and heart conditions. It was restarted on Dec. 16 after Parliament passed a bill ordering it to resume operations. The report says that during the isotope shortage, there was no communication between AECL, which produces the raw materials of most tests performed in nuclear medicine imaging facilities, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the federal safety commission that oversees it and the federal government. "The most disconcerting issue of all for all concerned was the fact that the nuclear medicine community could not properly plan an appropriate response to the crisis," reads the report. Nuclear community 'teetering on the brink of disaster'Clement said the government has already taken action to address some of the recommendations, including developing a new communication protocol to ensure information about future shutdowns of the reactor would be shared faster between the respective parties involved. A separate, but related report into the crisis by an ad hoc group of health experts that was also released on Monday found that Canada's nuclear medicine community was "teetering on the brink of disaster" in the wake of the reactor's shutdown. The panel also suggests a reserve of raw materials should be created to deal with any future shortage and calls for more reactors to be opened to create isotopes. With files from the Canadian PressStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksIsotope crisis shows need for better balance, communication: reportIsotope shortage delays hundreds of health testsHealth Headlines55 minutes of daily activity the ticket to weight loss: studyA new study has found that for overweight and obese women seeking to lose weight, fifty-five minutes of exercise a day, five days a week is needed to lose 10 per cent of overall body weight over two years. Fluoride levels should be lowered, panel tells Health CanadaA panel of experts convened by Health Canada is recommending new optimal concentrations of fluoride in drinking water and suggesting the levels of fluoride ingested via a variety of sources by children and infants be lowered.'Massive dysfunctionality' led to isotope crisis: ClementA "massive dysfunctionality" of communication between parties led to the closing of the Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. reactor in Chalk River, Ont., and subsequent shortage of medical isotopes, federal Health Minister Tony Clement said.L.A. city council bars new fast-food joints from poor areaLos Angeles city council has approved a one-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in a low-income area of the city.Fatal medication errors at home surge in U.S.Deaths from medication mistakes at home, like actor Heath Ledger's accidental overdose, rose dramatically during the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds. Health FeaturesIN DEPTHNanotechnologyReally, really small stuff that's really big. But is it safe?VIDEONutritionFeeding your bones (4:27)ANOTHER VIEWDrugs and drivingNew law a 'positive step', analyst saysIN DEPTHTrans fatsMoving away from bad fatsHEALTH & FITNESSPeter HadzipetrosBreaking up's not that hard to doPeople who read this also read …
| 
Add comment