PET Scans Disrupted At Colombo And Maharagama Hospitals

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Government Radiological Technologists' Association (GRTA) states that cancer patients are facing severe difficulties due to the suspension of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, and the Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama.

The president of the association, Chanaka Dharmawickrama, explained that the suspension is due to a shortage of the radioactive tracer (radiopharmaceutical) required to perform the scans.

The GRTA further noted that the registration of the supplier of this radioactive material has not yet been updated by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

PET scans are vital for accurately identifying cancer cells and their activity, determining the exact extent to which cancer cells have spread, and confirming whether cancer cells have been successfully eliminated following treatment.