A group of directors of state-run community hospitals is calling for the government to revise the 2016 Nuclear Energy for Peace Act, claiming the law, which was enacted last month, will affect medical services and budgets in local hospitals.
The act is an amended version of the previous one which had been used for five decades. Adopted by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) earlier this year and active since this month, the law has drawn resistance from the medical sector as it requires state and private hospitals to hire radiology specialists. There are severe penalties for violating this requirement.
"This law lacks understanding about how hospitals operate radiation-based equipment. It's impossible for every hospital to hire a radiology technician to operate radiology-based equipment," said Dr Soralak Mingthaisong, director of Bang Nam Priaw Hospital in Chachoengsao province, one of the doctors in the group.
The law was written by the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP), an agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The amended version requires hospitals to hire "radiation safety officers" to ensure safety of using such medical equipment.
Violation of the law means a criminal charge with a maximum jail term of up to five years, and a maximum fine of up to 500,000 baht.
Out of all 793 community hospitals across the country, only 380 have radiology technicians on staff, said Dr Soralak. Among these 380 hospitals, only 12 have three radiology technicians for each hospital, while 67 hospitals have only two.
At a national level, four of 85 state-run general hospitals do not have any radiology technicians. Each of the rest however, only hire up to three radiology specialists, Dr Soralak said.
The group is calling for the NLA to amend some regulations. The group asked for the Ministry of Public Health to take a leading role in regulating the use of nuclear technology.
Hospitals across the country have been raising banners to protest against the draft of the law since early this year, and resistance has been rising recently.
Jate Siratharanon, chairman of the NLA's committee on public health, said a subcommittee was formed to revise some details.
He said Section 25 of the law should be revised to exclude medical equipment with non-harmful nuclear technology.