Army Hospital provides proper treatment to Cobalt-60 exposed patients

New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): The Army Hospital (Research and Referral) would soon discharge the two patients exposed to radiation from nuclear scrap.

"The two patients have shown good recovery over the last few weeks and their condition is near normal. Their condition is clinically stable and free of any infection or bleeding," said Lt. General Naresh Kumar, Commandant, Research and Referral Hospital.

Thirty-two year old Deepak Jain and forty-year old Ajay Jain were admitted to the hospital last month with low blood counts due to bone marrow suppression following accidental radiation exposure to Cobalt-60 at a scrap shop in the Mayapuri area of the city.

"Despite being released from the hospital in a day or two, the doctors would continue to closely monitor the condition of the two patients. Ajay Jain's wound is healing well," said Lt. General Naresh Kumar.

"Volunteer donors having 100 percent matching Human Lymphocyte Antigen (HLA) have been kept on standby for bone marrow transplant if their condition worsens," he added.

Delhi University has reportedly come under the scanner after it was let known that the laboratory of the varsity's Chemistry Department had disposed off the radioactive metal as scrap resulting in one death and critical injuries to a couple of other persons.

The Union Government on Friday said that Delhi University had violated rules by selling scrap containing radioactive material.

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan assured members that those responsible for the violation would not be spared.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had earlier said that the experts from the Department of Atomic Energy are probing and analysing the entire issue.

"We are doing that. Even the university people are looking after it. We have also received a statement from the Vice Chancellor. Apart from this, people from the Department of Atomic Energy are looking into it as well, as we don't have such expertise," Dikshit added.

The Delhi Police is investigation at "criminal negligence" part in the radiation caused by Cobalt-60.

Rajender, 35, a worker at a shop in Mayapuri scrap market, had died due to multiple organ failure this week at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after being exposed to the radiation.

Ten sources of Cobalt-60 had later been discovered in the Mayapuri scrap market.

Cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope of cobalt, which is a hard, lustrous, grey metal. It is used in cancer therapy machines and other medical equipment. (ANI)