Estimation of Radiological Risk on Medical Staff and Public Inside & Outside of Three Large Hospital Campuses of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Ionizing radiation offers great benefit to people in the hospital through diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to patients but undue radiation may create short- and long-term problems for medical staff & public. The goal of the study is to monitor the real-time radiation inside & outside of the three large hospital campuses in Dhaka city of Bangladesh namely the National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital (NICRH), National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute (NHFH), Kidney Foundation Hospital & Research Institute (KFH) and estimation of radiological risk on medical staff& public. The average real-time radiation dose rate & calculated average twelve-monthly effective doses to medical staff and public arising from the NICRH, NHFH, KFH were found to be1.781 ± 0.310 μSv/h, 1.685 ± 0.307μSv/h, 1.735 ± 0.341μSv/hand 3.111 ± 0.556mSv, 2.952 ± 0.437 mSv, 3.039 ± 0.329 mSv respectively. The excess life-time cancer risk (ELCR) on medical staff & public was estimated based on the twelve-monthly effective dose and varied from 8.972 Χ 10-3 to 18.938 Χ 10-3with average of 12.071 Χ 10-3. The average twelve-monthly effective dose and ELCR on medical staff were lower than those of the permissible limit. Real-time radiation monitoring inside & outside of the large hospital campuses is essential for detecting a malfunction of the radiation generating equipment and incorrect handling of the radioactive substances. The study would assist in minimizing radiological risk to medical staff & public and thereby would ensure the environment in the hospital is free from radioactive contamination.