Accreditation of Medical Physicists and Biomedical Engineers – Round Table Meeting at Dhaka University

At the initiative of the Department of Biomedical Physics & Technology of Dhaka University and Bangladesh Medical Physics Association, a round table meeting was held last 11 February on Accreditation and Certification issues in the field of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. Held at the Centre for Advanced Research in Sciences of Dhaka University, Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor ShahidAkhtarHussain and the Dean of the Faculty of Science Professor M Yousuf Ali Molla were present as Special Guests.

Moderated by the Chairperson of the Department of Biomedical Physics & Technology Professor K Siddique-e Rabbani, Keynote papers were presented by Dr. Sadiq Malik, Chief Medical Physicist of Delta Cancer Hospital and Professor KamilaAfroj, Chief Scientific Officer of the National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.Heads and retired specialists of several relevant Government and Private Organisations, Oncologists and young Medical Physicists practicing in different hospitals and members of the initiating organisationsactively participated in the meeting.

Recently most hospitals are engaging sophisticated instruments in medical services. Several specialist hospitals have procured modern LINAC machines that deliver high powered radiation beamsfor cancer therapy. For diagnosis of cancer and other diseases, CT scanner, PET scanner, etc. are increasingly being used. Nuclear medicine provides both therapy and diagnosis using nuclear radiation in special ways. A Medical Physicist and a Biomedical Engineer has to work with responsibility side by side with a medical doctor for the practice of such medicines. The responsibility is such that for a small mistake, a patient may sustain permanent damage, even death, instead of being treated for a problem.

To ascertain quality in these fields, there has been no arrangement in Bangladesh so far for accreditation of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering educational and training programmes, and Certification of personnel graduating from such programmes.After discussing different aspects, possibilities and realities, the meeting resolved that an independent Board should be created under the leadership of Dhaka University with membership from individual specialists, relevant associations, Government and non-Government organisations. The Biomedical Physics & Technology Department of the Dhaka University will take necessary initiatives for this purpose. Dhaka University will take initiatives to see that the Accreditation and Certification given by this Board is approved and accepted by the Government.