Dr. Frank W. Hensley, who up until 2014 was a medical physicist at the University Hospital Heidelberg and has jointly coordinated the project from the beginning, is delighted with the work of the SCMPCR: “A very dedicated team works extremely hard and independent. These people help themselves; we only support their commitment.” However, because the center receives no funding from the state, there are always problems with financing. This makes donations, such as those from PTW, all the more important in order to cover the maintenance and investment costs of SCMPCR – from buildings to dosimetry equipment and even projectors for lectures.
Medical Physicists in the Whole Region Benefit
The second project coordinator, Volker Steil, head of the Medical Physics and Radiation Protection Department at the University Hospital Mannheim, adds: “What we have achieved together with Professor Zakaria, is the development of an infrastructure in Bangladesh, which, for the first time, makes it possible to offer medical physics training locally.“ He explains how the organization has changed over the years: At the beginning, students and practitioners were flown from Bangladesh to Germany for training. Over the last few years, however, more German experts travel to Bangladesh and teach on site. “This is not only cheaper, but also more sustainable,” explains Volker Steil. “It is one of the reasons the on-going project has a positive effect across the whole region.” Every year, the cost for medical physics and dosimetry seminars, accommodation and return travel to and from Bangladesh can be covered for 27 participants from different South Asian countries.