UGANDA’S new Atomic Energy law will boost technical cooperation between the country and the International Atomic Energy Agency, a senior agency official has said.
The chief of cabinet, Antoine van Dongen, is in Uganda to inspect programmes supported by the agency in the health and agricultural sectors.
“The law was a prerequisite to set into motion a more fruitful cooperation between the agency and other sectors. It will now be possible for us to extend assistance,†said Dongen.
The official was yesterday touring sections at Mulago Hospital that use atomic energy in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases like cancer.
He visited the Radiotherapy Department, the Cancer Institute, the nuclear medicine department and the child nutrition ward.
The hospital’s executive director, Dr. Edward Ddumba, asked for support in the importation of nuclear energy equipment, its safe use and the proper management of nuclear waste materials.
The head of the radiotherapy department, Dr. Joseph Kigula, asked the agency to assist them acquire another radiotherapy machine to treat cervical cancer.
He said the machine that serves an average of 1,400 people annually recently broke down.
Thabisileh Moleah, the agency’s programme officer in Uganda, said they would help acquire the machine if Uganda was ready to share the costs of purchase.
New atomic energy law hailed
