Speaker
Description
As Kenya's nuclear medicine capabilities expand, the safe and secure transport of radiopharmaceuticals particularly fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) produced at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH) to multiple PET/CT centers within the Nairobi region has become a critical component of national emergency preparedness and response (EPR) arrangements. KUTRRH's critical role in this supply chain, no simulation exercises or drills have been conducted since the hospital began routine FDG distribution to external facilities, leaving a significant gap in transport safety preparedness. Effective response planning for transport-related incidents is essential to protect public safety, ensure service continuity, and maintain regulatory compliance.
To address this gap, this paper proposes a joint exercise simulating a radiopharmaceutical transport emergency in Nairobi’s high-density central business district during peak traffic hours. The proposed scenario involves a courier vehicle transporting FDG from KUTRRH being immobilized following a road accident, resulting in minor injuries and temporary loss of control over the radioactive shipment. This exercise would provide a valuable platform to test emergency communication protocols between transport personnel, hospital nuclear medicine teams, and receiving PET/CT centers; coordination with traffic police and emergency responders; real-time radiological risk assessments and dose viability decisions; activation of backup delivery procedures; and public risk communication strategies, particularly for managing misinformation on social media.
Conducting such a simulation would allow healthcare institutions and national authorities to evaluate the robustness of their emergency SOPs, close procedural gaps, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration. This aligns with IAEA guidance on transport safety and supports Kenya’s national EPR framework. The paper concludes by advocating for the institutionalization of regular, inter-facility exercises as a practical, scalable approach to bridging policy and operational readiness, offering a replicable model for other Member States seeking to strengthen radiological transport safety within rapidly evolving nuclear medicine systems.
