The European Society of Radiology (ESR) has partnered with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to improve radiology clinical and ancillary services on the island of Palau, located in the western Pacific Ocean.
The two groups sent a radiology expert to offer training and infrastructural advice as a result of the IAEA-ESR practical agreement on cooperation in the area of diagnostic imaging signed earlier this year.
The training took place on Palau in early November as part of an IAEA project, which aims to improve the quality of radiology services. IAEA approached the ESR to send an expert on its own expenses to train local radiologists, radiographers, and referring physicians on basic imaging, radiation protection, and awareness.
The ESR nominated Dr. Annemie Snoeckx, a senior radiologist in the department of radiology at the Antwerp University Hospital. Snoeckx traveled to Belau National Hospital, which has 80 beds, employs 22 medical doctors, and is the only hospital on the island, serving approximately 20,000 inhabitants. The radiology department consists of eight radiographers and nurses but no radiologist. Diagnostic tasks are done via limited teleradiology services.
Joining Snoeckx for the volunteer endeavor was Dr. Thomas Pascual, a nuclear medicine physician and the IAEA technical officer for Asia and Oceania and also Dr. Asela Barroso, a radiologist, and Dr. Cheyen Molon, a lecturer/docent in medical radiation technology, both from the De La Salle University Medical Center in Manila, Philippines.
