| Releases & Statements
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today
released results of a survey showing that 20 percent of x-ray
machines at private health clinics are not inspected by the Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) as often as they should be,
putting patients’ and x-ray technicians’ health at
risk.
“Peoples lives are being risked
because the Department of Health isn’t getting out to inspect
these machines. We know what happens when x-ray technology breaks
down,” said Gotbaum.
X-ray equipment that breaks down can
either provide false and unreliable results or can emit an excess
of radiation, which can increase a person's life-time risk of
cancer. “By not inspecting one-in-five machines on time,
DOH is playing Russian Roulette with people’s lives,”
continued Gotbaum.
State law requires that x-ray equipment
be registered and inspected regularly. State Sanitary and City
Health Codes call for annual inspections of x-ray equipment based
on health risks, but have allowed for local health agencies to
set a different inspection schedule. In New York City, DOHMH is
charged with inspecting all machines in hospitals and radiology
offices once every two years.
Gotbaum’s staff surveyed 47
of the 250 independent and hospital-based radiology facilities
throughout the city. The facilities surveyed mirror the distribution
of radiology practices across the boroughs. Facilities in the
Bronx and in Queens were least likely to be inspected. In all
9 of the 47 surveyed sites missed their last inspection.
Past reports have indicated
similar problems with past-due DOHMH inspections. A 1992 report
by the then City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman found that almost
40 percent of facilities with x-ray equipment had not been inspected
after one year, as was then required by both state and city agencies.
A 2001 report by then-State Comptroller Carl McCall, conducted
after DOHMH set inspection for every two years, found that 14
percent of facilities requiring inspection every two years were
overdue. “DOH has had two warnings. Hopefully the third
time’s the charm. We can’t afford another Jacobi Hospital-like
disaster. In this case thousands of New Yorkers could be misdiagnosed
and hundreds of workers can be exposed hazardous levels of radiation.
It’s time for DOH to do more than push off deadlines for
inspections. People’s lives are at risk,” concluded
Gotbaum.
Gotbaum recommends that:
? DOHMH review registration records and immediately inspect all
x-ray equipment that has not been inspected in over 2 years
? DOHMH inspect 100 percent of all equipment when it is first
put into use and every two years from then on
? DOHMH make information available to the public so that consumers
can verify the last date of inspection
? The New York State Department of Health conduct a biennial audit
of DOHMH’s radiation protection activities
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