The BAPETEN Technical Guidelines Working Group, led by Radiation Supervisor Ms. Titik Kartika, included team members Mr. Sudradjat and Mr. Zulfahmi. The primary objective of the visit was to capture best practices, particularly in the context of reviewing and evaluating the principles of justification and optimization in radiation protection. This activity aimed to enrich the development of technical guidelines, ensuring their practical applicability.

During the visit, Ms. Titik Kartika articulated the purpose and significance of the guidelines and presented an overview of their preparation process. These guidelines are a mandate of Article 48 of Government Regulation No. 45 of 2023, which requires license holders to periodically conduct radiological reviews of medical exposure within their facilities. The scope of such reviews includes assessing the application of justification, optimization, investigation, and corrective measures for medical exposures.

Radiological reviews are expected to be conducted collaboratively by medical personnel, healthcare workers, and radiation protection officers (PPR). Given the general nature of the provisions outlined in the regulation, these guidelines are intended to provide clear and actionable directions to license holders for implementing radiological reviews effectively.

For 2024, the guidelines focus specifically on radiotherapy facilities due to the relatively higher radiation risks associated with such treatments compared to other applications. These guidelines are also expected to enhance the ability of facilities to perform periodic evaluations of radiation protection and safety measures, a critical need in light of the Ministry of Health's ongoing efforts to expand the number and distribution of radiation facilities across Indonesia.

The guideline development process involves a coordinative and participatory approach, encompassing activities such as document reviews, field surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), interviews with stakeholders in healthcare facilities, and consultations with academics, experts, and practitioners, supplemented by relevant literature reviews.

The survey at Al-Ihsan Hospital was warmly received by hospital management. In his address, Mr. Ferry Achmad Firdaus, Deputy Director of Al-Ihsan Hospital, expressed gratitude for BAPETEN’s trust in selecting the hospital as a contributing partner in the guideline preparation process. He was accompanied by Radiation Oncology Specialist Dr. Faisal Adam and Medical Physicist Mr. Brahma Indra Prasaja.

The visit included in-depth discussions and interviews to gather insights into best practices and assess the applicability of the forthcoming guidelines. Following these sessions, the team conducted an on-site review of the radiotherapy facility, observing patient services and operations to ensure alignment with the envisioned technical guidelines.

This comprehensive approach underscores BAPETEN’s commitment to fostering high standards of radiation safety and protection while supporting the quality and effectiveness of radiological practices in health facilities across Indonesia. [P2STPFRZR/Sudradjat/BHKK/SP/Translator: GP]