Mumbai: India is facing a severe shortage of
imported medical radioisotopes for use in nuclear diagnostic
procedures and treatment of heart, bone and kidney ailments
and plans to produce a type of Molybdenum-based isotope that
would be freely available.
The high specific activity and user-friendly
radioisotope--Molybdenum-99 (Moly99)--would be produced
through the nuclear fission route using low enriched uranium
(LEU), BARC sources said today.
Most of the nuclear medicine centres (NMCs) and hospitals
which import this widely used radioisotope are hit by severe
shortage after one of its major global suppliers, the
52-year-old Canadian National Research Universal (NRU) in
Chalk River, Ontario was shut down in May this year.
"Therefore, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is planning to
embark on production of user-friendly Moly99 through a fission
route with LEU, as soon as possible, by augmenting processing
capacity to increase the needed production of fission
Moly99," BARC sources told.
BARC will produce this fission Moly99 initially in its
existing research reactor Dhruva in Trombay, sources said.
From Molybdenum-99 its sister product Technetium-99
(99mTc) is milked which is used for diagnosis and treatment of
ailments including those relating to heart, kidney and bones.
"At least 500 procedures are carried out everyday in the
country especially for heart, bones, kidneys and lungs using
Technetium-Mo99 and due to the global shortage, Indian
hospitals could be hit badly in the coming months," Dr B A
Krishna, Head Nuclear Medicine of Hinduja hospital said.
Bureau Report