Executive Summary:
The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister's Office addressed a question in Lok Sabha regarding the application of nuclear energy in the health sector. The response details the government's initiatives to augment research and development in nuclear medicine, expand its use in hospitals and diagnostic centers, and ensure availability of services, particularly in rural areas such as Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Key initiatives include radioisotope production, development of radio pharma products, collaborations with leading institutes, and the establishment of advanced nuclear medicine facilities.
Key Points / Main Content:
Nuclear Energy in Healthcare:
* Nuclear energy is applicable in the health sector for advanced treatments, with diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine widely practiced in India.
* Diagnostic methods like SPECT, PET, and CT scans are used for cancer staging, restaging, and response evaluation.
* Over 500 nuclear medicine facilities are available in government and private sectors across the country.
Research and Development Initiatives:
* Ongoing R&D focuses on radioisotope production, purification, and developing new technologies for uninterrupted supply of medical radioisotopes.
* BARC has developed and launched indigenous radio pharma products for various applications, including radiation synovectomy and cancer therapies.
* Collaborations with institutions like AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, and BRNS enhance these efforts.
* Tata Memorial Centre established P Ramaiah Naidu Shodhika in ACTREC, Mumbai, featuring 41 hot beds and state-of-the-art facilities, inaugurated in 2023.
Expanding Access to Nuclear Medicine:
* BARC produces and supplies radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals through BRIT to nuclear medicine centers nationwide, improving access in rural and underserved areas.
* TMC established Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre in Varanasi, UP, equipped with PET CT, SPECT CT, and facilities for radioiodine therapy and theranostics.
Impact Analysis:
Healthcare Professionals:
* Impact: Enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools, improved access to radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, and opportunities for collaboration in research and treatment.
* Action Required: Stay updated on new technologies and radio pharma products, participate in collaborative research, and utilize available resources for improved patient care.
Patients:
* Impact: Access to advanced diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine, particularly for cancer treatment, with improved availability in rural areas.
* Action Required: Consult with healthcare providers about potential benefits of nuclear medicine for diagnosis and treatment.
Research Institutions (BARC, AIIMS, PGIMER, JIPMER, TMC):
* Impact: Increased funding and opportunities for research and development in nuclear medicine, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources.
* Action Required: Continue research efforts in radioisotope production, radio pharma product development, and clinical applications of nuclear medicine.
Government (Department of Atomic Energy):
* Impact: Fulfillment of commitment to enhance healthcare through nuclear energy applications and address healthcare disparities.
* Action Required: Continue to support research, development, and infrastructure improvements in nuclear medicine, with a focus on expanding access in underserved areas.
Key Entities Referenced
Nuclear energy: A form of energy discussed in the context of its application in the health sector for advanced treatment of various ailments.
SHRI RAJEEV RAI: Member of Parliament who posed the unstarred question regarding the use of nuclear energy in the health sector.
DR. JITENDRA SINGH: The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister's Office, who provided the answer to the question.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre BARC: An Indian nuclear research facility that has developed and launched indigenously produced radio pharma products and regularly produces radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS: A leading medical institute in India that collaborates with the Department of Atomic Energy on Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences BRNS funded projects.
Tata Memorial Centre TMC: An aided institute under the aegis of the Department of Atomic Energy that has established advanced Nuclear Medicine Research and Treatment unit in the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer ACTREC in Mumbai and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
P Ramaiah Naidu Shodhika: An advanced Nuclear Medicine Research and Treatment unit established in the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer ACTREC in Mumbai.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: City in Uttar Pradesh where the Tata Memorial Centre TMC has established Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO – 1826
ANSWERED ON 30/07/2025
USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN HEALTH SECTOR
1826. SHRI RAJEEV RAI
Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-
(a) whether it is a fact that nuclear energy can be applied in the health sector for advance
treatment of various ailments and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has initiated measures to augment research and development of
nuclear medicine in our country and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) wh ether the Government has initiated any measures to spread the use of advanced nuclear
medicine in hospitals and diagnostic centres in rural areas particularly in areas of Eastern
Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
AND PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) Yes, Nuclear energy has potential to be applied in the health sector for advanced
treatment of various ailments. In many of them diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear
medicine can be practiced. In India, Single Photon Emission Computerized
Tomography (SPECT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computerized
Tomography (CT) are the devices through which diagnostic nuclear medicine is
practiced. They help in staging, restaging, response evaluation of cancer. There is
availability of nuclear medicine facilities in the country in Government and private
sector. There are more than 500 such facilities available.
Nuclear medicine imaging provides unique information by helping doctors view how
organs are functioning, which is different from X-rays or CT scans that show only
anatomical structure.
(b) The Government has taken several initiatives to augment research and development of
nuclear medicine in the country. R&D is ongoing in radioisotope production,
purification, and development of new technologies to ensure enhanced and
uninterrupted supply of medical radioisotopes in the country. Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) has developed and launched several indigenously produced radio-
pharma products for applications like radiation synovectomy, therapy of neuroendocrine
tumours, breast cancer, bone pain palliation, liver cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma.
These efforts are enhanced through collaborations both within the Department of Atomic
Energy and through collaborations with Institutes and leading nuclear medicine centerssuch as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Postgraduate Institute of
Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Jawaharlal Institute of
Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry through Board of
Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS) funded projects.
Tata Memorial Centre, an aided institute under the aegis of Department of Atomic
Energy has established P Ramaiah Naidu Shodhika, an advanced Nuclear Medicine
Research and Treatment unit in the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and
Education in Cancer (ACTREC) in Mumbai. This facility has 41 hot beds, one of the
largest therapeutic nuclear medicine units in the world, and was inaugurated by the
Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2023. It has state-of-art facilities for nuclear medicine and
basic research.
(c) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) regularly produces radio-isotopes and
radiopharmaceuticals and supplies it through Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology
(BRIT) to various nuclear medicine centres across India, enabling broader availability of
diagnostic and therapeutic services including in rural and underserved areas. Tata
Memorial Centre (TMC) has established Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Mahamana
Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre at Varanasi, UP. There are 2 PET CT, 1
SPECT CT, High Dose Radioiodine Therapy and Theranotic Facility available for the
use of nuclear medicine and diagnostic purpose.
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