First Radiography Week marked

NAMIBIAN radiography professionals gathered for the first time this week to celebrate their profession during the launch of National Radiography Week.

The week, which started on Monday, brings together radiographers and radiologists in both public and private practice to educate the public about radiography and its various imaging modalities, such as X-rays, nuclear medicine, sonography, radiotherapy, CT scans, mammography and others.Under the theme ‘Basic Radiation Fact: Radiation is useful to our health and daily lives but dangerous when abused’, the Ministry of Health and Social Services yesterday launched the week, awarding various state radiography facilities in different categories.Speaking at the event, Deputy Health Minister Petrina Haingur, highlighted the important role of radiography in health services, and encouraged the youth to study towards careers in radiography.She also urged radiographers to remain vigilant in maintaining radiographic imaging equipment, and providing the public with diagnostic and therapeutic services.The launch also honoured the work of retired radiographer Lynn van Dyk, who worked with Namibia’s Radiographic Services for almost 30 years between 1971 and 2000, and to whom the first celebration of Radiography week was dedicated.Van Dyk played a big role in the development of Namibia’s radiography services, including in radiation control, and trained over 30 qualified Namibian radiographers between 1992 and 2000. During the course of the week, which will now become an annual event, radiology and imaging professionals will be hosted on radio and television talk shows to inform the public of the purpose of the week, the services offered by the various radiology and oncology centres across the country, and the role of a radiographer in healthcare. At Namibian State facilities alone, close to 200 000 cases were seen for imaging during the 2008-2009 financial year alone, with the Katutura Hospital seeing about 40 000 of these cases.Next year, the celebration will be conducted during the week of International Radiography Day, which is celebrated on November 8, the day on which Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X-rays 114 years ago in 1895.nangula@namibian.com.na