Photo of first Technetium-99mGenerator. From Wikipedia. |
STARTING
this year, Filipinos may avail of
cheaper medical diagnostic tests as the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) is set to locally produce Technetium-99m (Tc-99m).
This silver-gray,
radioactive metal is used for medical and research purposes, including
evaluation of the medical condition of the heart and other organs, and studying
blood flow.
This
prospect comes with the recent unveiling of the Radioisotope Laboratory
building at the DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) office in
Diliman, Quezon City . The laboratory, which houses the generator
plant for the isotope, is the first Tc-99m production facility in the Philippines .
PNRI
Director Alumanda de la Rosa said that producing Tc-99m locally will cut at least 50 percent of hospital procedures.
She also
added that by February, PNRI would be
able to provide all the Tc-99m-based radiopharmaceutical needs of hospitals at
a cost lower than the current prohibitive cost of imported
radiopharmaceuticals.
Also
called Molybdenum 99, Tc-99m is a radioactive tracer chemical used in almost 80
percent of diagnostic imaging procedures such as bone and lung scans, and renal
scintigraphy. It is widely preferred because of its short-lived gamma rays and
its capacity for normal imaging techniques.
Image of molybdenum crystalline. From Wikipedia. |
Over 35
hospitals around the country with nuclear medicine centers have to import
Tc-99m generators, thus making medical procedures too costly for the public. A
typical imported generator costs $1,000—higher than its cost in Indonesia which
is $388.
However,
the local production of Tc-99m will make diagnostic tests more affordable and
accessible to a wider segment of the population.
The
facility was completed with assistance from the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) to ensure that the laboratory complies with good manufacturing
practices and radiological safety requirements.
The
facility also aims to localize the production of radiopharmaceutical products
and make them available to government hospitals, particularly for charity patients,
at a subsidized cost.
According
to PNRI Director Alumanda de la Rosa, by February 2014, PNRI would be able to provide for all the
Tc-99m-based radiopharmaceutical needs of hospitals at a cost lower than the
current prohibitive cost of imported radiopharmaceuticals.
Meanwhile, DOST-PNRI is preparing the
installations of Tc-99m hot cell facility for the production of Tc-99m
generators and studies on quality control procedures for the
preparation/production of Tc-99m and Tc-99 radiopharmaceuticals.
[Press
Release written by Allan Ace Aclan, S & T Media Service, DOST-STII]