• Government has lauded the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai for developing Eye Cancer therapy in the form of the first indigenous Ruthenium 106 Plaque for treatment of Ocular Tumours.

    • The handling of plaque is very convenient for the Surgeon and it has been acknowledged to be at par with the international standards.

    • Institutes like Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, have agreed to use the Plaque developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for Eye Cancer treatment.

    • It was in September 2020 that it was used for the first time for the treatment of a patient with Choroidal Hemangioma and the results proved to be satisfactory.

    • So far the BARC plaques made in India through the Department of Atomic Energy have been used for seven cases for Ocular Cancer, out of which two were Retinoblastoma, two were Choroidal Melanoma, two Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN) and one case of Choroidal Hemangioma.

    • The Plaque handling is very much Surgeon-friendly and the preliminary results are very satisfactory.

    • Developing indigenous Plaque Brachytherapy for Eye Cancer patients is an initiative in the area of medical management. This treatment modality has provided a simpler and cost-effective option for the patients.

    • The Department of Atomic Energy is also contributing in other areas like, for example, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is developing Bullet Proof Jackets for security personnel and in the Agricultural sector, radiation techniques to extend shelf life of vegetable and food products are being applied.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)