Sri Lanka Deputy Minister of Health, Faizal Cassim today sought expertise, training and manpower from a city hospital to set up advanced treatment facilities in his country.

Speaking as Chief Guest at the 2nd World Rhenium Congress Conference at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital (KMCH) here, the organisers, Cassim express his desire to make such advanced treatment facilities made available in Sri Lanka.

Nuclear medicine department of KMCH has made available a novel treatment option called Rhenium 188 Lipiodol which is used for liver cancer treatment.

This radio conjugate is cheaper and equally effective if not better than other available options in treating advanced liver cancers.

In view of this, Cassim sought the expertise of KMCH and its other institutions to set up a Centre with advanced facilities in Island nation.

To enable Rhenium 188 Lipiodol to reach a wider group of patients around the world, KMCH had hosted the conference today, which was a platform to aid training and foster research collaborations between faculty and participants from about 22 countries around the globe, making it as a one of its best kind of events.

With strong framework and regulations in the field of radio radionuclide therapy, an enormous volume of patient community could be benefited by setting up similar therapy facilities across the country, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Executive Director, D K Shukla said.

KMCH Chairman, Nalla G Palanisamy said “KMCH will support any effort taken to spread the availability of low cost, highly effective therapies such as Rhenium, as it is need of the hour in countries like ours. ”

About 250 nuclear medicine scientists and technologists from across the globe have participated in the conference.