National Mechanism to Enhance Safety of Cancer Radiation Therapy

The Cabinet, chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God protect him – approved a mechanism for integrating roles between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority and the National Cancer Center at the Saudi Health Council to meet nuclear and radiological regulatory requirements.

The mechanism aims to protect humans in medical practices of radiation therapy for cancerous tumors, thereby fulfilling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s international obligations. It includes the integration of roles between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority and the National Cancer Center at the Saudi Health Council in following up the development of policies and regulations that ensure radiological safety in cancer radiation therapy centers.

The mechanism also includes monitoring the impact of radiological safety and security policies and their role in positively reducing cancer incidence rates, raising awareness of the health effects of radiation and promoting safety practices, along with exchanging data and expertise, conducting studies on radiological effects and cancer diseases, and supporting training for specialists in radiation protection in medical radiological practices, thereby contributing to enhancing patient safety and supporting national efforts for cancer prevention and control.

In this regard, the Secretary-General of the Saudi Health Council, Dr. Nahhar bin Mazki Al-Azmi, said: The Cabinet’s approval of the mechanism for integrating roles between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority and the National Cancer Center at the Saudi Health Council to meet nuclear and radiological regulatory requirements is an extension of the continuous support and empowerment that the health sector and cancer services in particular receive from the wise leadership – may God protect them – in various preventive, therapeutic, and social aspects, thereby contributing to raising the quality and efficiency of health services.

Al-Azmi added that this mechanism establishes integration between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority and the National Cancer Center, and supports building a more efficient national system for organizing and monitoring medical radiological practices, thereby enhancing the safety of patients and health practitioners and ensuring the application of best practices and national and international standards in the field of radiation protection.

It is noteworthy that the National Cancer Center at the Saudi Health Council seeks to develop services for cancer, combat its spread, monitor its developments, improve its comprehensive services, follow up on treatment outcomes, care for research and development, coordinate among health sectors and entities related to cancer disease and patients, and contribute to national initiatives and programs to improve the quality of healthcare, in order to achieve the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Program and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.