Canberra Hospital is calling tenders for the equipment

required by its proposed department of nuclear medicine. The department

is expected to be functioning by late 1971Â·' Â·  .

The equipment is likely to cost about $100,000.

At a meeting in October, 1969,  the Canberra Hospital Board

gave its approval to the establishment.of a nuclear medicine'department.

In a memorandum to the board, the hospital's clinical :

superintendent, Dr N. A. ÃÂÃÂÃÂ½ÃÂÃÂ·, said, "The use of radioactive tracer

materials now constitutes a major diagnostic aid. Radio-isotopes are

free and readily available from the Australian Atomic Energy Commission,

Lucas Heights. . .  Â·  .  .  .

!'The equipment used in measuring organ or specimen radioactivity

has reached a high degree of accuracy and sophistication. The greatest

aid in diagnosis, is the ability to map areas of the body not accessible

by anyÂ· other means, or accessible only at grave risk to the patient.

.-"Liver,> brain and. lungs, are good examples of such areas."

Dr Elvin said that for these reasons the major hospitals of

Australia were either creating departments of nuclear medicine or were

developing such facilities within the existing framework of a radiology

department.

He told the. Canberra Hospital Board that radio-isotope.Â·

equipment could be invaluable in the diagnosis of brain tumors, thyroid

malfunction orÂ· hydatid disease. Â· - '  .

In the months since the board gave its approval, planning

principles have been investigated on a joint basis by the hospital and

A.C.T. Health Services. ;  .

Expert advice has been obtained from Professor James McRae of

Sydney University and Mr Donald Stevens, director of the Commonwealth

X-Ray and Radium Laboratory in Melbourne. ’

Initially, the new department will be temporarily located

within the outpatients department. Later, permanent accommodation will

be developed. -

2

Nuclear Medicine - a definition

Nuclear medicine has been defined as the scientific and

clinical discipline concerned with the diagnostic, therapeutic and

investigative uses of radionuclides in medicine. The discipline is

mainly concerned with the use of radio-isotopes as tracers to determine

function and/or structure of internal organs. Ã¢ÂÂ

Many procedures require little preparation, incur no morbidity

and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Nuclear medicine is expanding rapidly. Statistics more often

indicate the amount of available equipment rather than the real demand.

Nuclear Medicine - its future in the A.C.T.

The establishment of a department of nuclear medicine at

Canberra Hospital is seen as the first segment of what will ultimately

be an integrated nuclear medicine service in the A.C.T.

It is envisaged that each major hospital will have its own

facilities to provide diagnostic radio-isotope investigations.

A projected centralised nuclear medicine complex will

concentrate on radio-therapy, using more sophisticated equipment .....

linear accelerators, deep x-ray machines.

Because of the high cost 'of establishing such a centre and the

population necessary to provide an appropriate workload, the centralised

complex is still very much a long term proposition. .

Radiation Levels

The level of radiation emitted by some equipment in a

centralised nuclear medicine complex would be high. Radiation

shielding and other protective measures would therefore be necessary.

The units to be installed at individual hospitals will not need

such extensive protective measures as the radio-isotopes to Tbe used in

diagnostic work are less hazardous.

Release No. 227 Nigel Starck

November 27 1970 PRO A.C.T. Health Services

Tel. 498077 ext 13

(After hrss 487IO4)

