KUWAIT: A Kuwait Health Ministry official underlined on Sunday the state’s intent on adopting the latest diagnostic and treatment methods for cancer patients as well as ensuring compatibility with safety and quality standards. Dr. Abdulredha Abbas, head of the nuclear medicine department at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center, spoke to KUNA following a regional training session on radioactive materials organized by the Center in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Dr. Abbas mentioned that this is the second session to handle topics of radioactive material production and quality manufacturing, adding that there are two centers producing such materials for clinical purposes in Kuwait. He stated that these sessions are a testament to Kuwait’s role in the field and all the technical projects it has achieved.

Dr Abdulredha Abbas

Dr Shatha Al-Khalaf

There are eight centers in Kuwait for PET scans (positron emission tomography), all requiring radioactive materials daily, as the centers receive some 18–20 visitors while other centers are visited by 30-45 people. Head of the radioactive materials unit at the center, Dr. Shatha Al-Khalaf, described the sessions as an extension of continuous research efforts aiming to improve the quality of radioactive material.

Lecturing at the session, she added, are a number of highly skilled experts and specialists in the field. Some 40 participants from Arab countries in Asia are taking part in the session set to span over the course of five days. - KUNA