Nuclear medicine crisis drags on despite ‘fix’

Australia’s supply of nuclear medicine generators needed for crucial diagnostic tests remains disrupted after a breakdown.

The OPAL reactor core at Lucas Heights. Picture: Craig Greenhill

Australia’s supply of nuclear medicine generators needed for crucial diagnostic tests remains disrupted almost three months after a conveyor belt breakdown.

While the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation last month announced the conveyor belt had been fixed, a planned shutdown of the OPAL reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney revealed other issues needing attention.

“The improvements took longer to complete than expected, and in the meantime we have continued to use imported ­generators and are now ramping up production of ANSTO-­produced generators,” a spokesman said yesterday.

“Over the next seven days, ANSTO will distribute 59 locally produced generators and we will import an additional 119 from the US. Normally ANSTO can supply about 140 locally produced generators a week.”

Amid doubts over the ability of ANSTO to satisfy demand, ­nuclear medicine expert Geoff Currie last night hit out at the “unexpectedly lengthy crisis” that appeared likely to continue into next month. “Nuclear medicine departments across Australia face daily uncertainty about their level of activity and ability to provide lifesaving and life-changing services to the patients they serve,” Professor Currie said.

“Patients continue to be cancelled or sent home, in some cases after travelling long distances, taking time off work or paying the cost of travel, but in some situations patients have to have surgery or treatment delayed. Australia has always enjoyed global leadership in the provision of nuclear-medicine ser­vices to our patients and with that the envy of the world. But the last 11 weeks have relegated us to Third World status.”

WA practitioner Peter Tually, past president of the Rural ­Alliance in Nuclear Scintigraphy, has been forced to cancel appointments not only due to the lack of locally produced generators but setbacks with imports and misinformation from ANSTO.

“I operate in rural WA which has some the poorest health outcomes in the nation,” Mr Tually said. “The impact of ANSTO’s problems is very real.” He urged board members to visit ANSTO’s facility to “satisfy themselves that management is actually making the right decisions rather than rely on statements from media professionals”.