Experts query exclusion from nuclear preparations

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Nuclear Medicine Experts queried yesterday its exclusion from Indonesia's preparations for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant.

Subur Budiman, deputy chairman of the association, said that, ideally, doctors would be involved in the preparations from the outset.

"We hope that health experts who understand the effects of nuclear radiation will be involved from the start in the planning," Subur told reporters.

He said that the association has yet to be consulted over the plan to build a nuclear power plant in Ujungwatu village, situated near Mount Muria in Central Java.

"The plans must meet tight safety requirements regarding the safety of employees and surrounding inhabitants, and also regarding the possible effects of radiation on the natural environment," said Budiman, a radiologist.

He said the association did not oppose the construction of nuclear power plants in Indonesia.

"As long as these (safety) requirements are met, we see no reason to object the plans," Budiman said during a two-day seminar on nuclear medicine at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM).

On Monday the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Hans Blix, said his agency was prepared to help the Indonesian government with its plan to build a nuclear plant.

President Soeharto himself has said the government is aware that the use of nuclear energy entails big risks and that people need to be prepared.

The chief of the National Atomic Energy Agency Djali Ahimsa said the government planned to hold a public debate on the issue before committing the country to a nuclear power program.

The government has already commissioned a feasibility study of the proposed site of Indonesia's first nuclear power plant in Central Java.

In his address to the seminar the deputy director of RSCM, Suminto, said the development of nuclear medicine in Indonesia had been slow.

"We are ready to conduct research and provide services, but the expense of the equipment and the materials have slowed down the development of the technology," Suminto said.

RSCM is one of seven state-run hospitals which have acquired scanning equipment called Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography from the French-based Sopha Development company.

The equipment has been obtained through a cooperation accord with the National Atomic Energy Agency.

The equipment enables the scanning of changes in organ function, as opposed to mere images of anatomy rendered by conventional techniques, such as X-rays.

"This leads to more accurate diagnosis and complements other methods," said Budiman. "We immediately know if a breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, rather than searching for the answer after an X-ray has shown indications of breast cancer."

The scanning equipment costs approximately Rp 500 million.

What patients are charged depends on what part of the body they want scanned, ranging from Rp 75,000 for a thyroid gland to Rp 700,000 for a heart. A kidney scan costs Rp 170,000.

These fees are in addition to some Rp 1 million worth of injections that a patient must receive before being scanned.

Budiman said that the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital received 200 requests per month for the scan. (anr)