Host: The Japan Radiation Research Society
Co-host: Asian Association for Radiation Research
In June 1980, the Nuclear Safety Commission came up with a guideline entitled "Off-site Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Nuclear Power Plants." This guideline nominated NIRS as a tertiary radiation emergency hospital that serves as the final stage hospital for receiving heavily exposed or contaminated victims due to nuclear or radiological accidents. Required aims as a tertiary emergency medicine hospital are as follows: (1) To accept exposed victims who require further expert diagnosis and treatment, (2) to dispatch a radiation emergency medical team to the local emergency site, (3) to facilitate exchange of information, research activities, and human resources, by constructing networks in cooperation with outside expert organizations, (4) to maintain and reinforce an efficient radiation emergency medicine system under normal conditions, and (5) to promote technical development and research on radiation emergency medicine. Strengthening its system to prepare for radiation emergencies three nation-wide network councils have been established, for medicine, chromosome analysis as bio-dosimetry, and physical dosimetry. The Radiation Emergency Medicine Network Council is a group of experts and medical organizations from which NIRS asks for their help at the time of a nuclear disaster or a radiological accident. The Chromosome Network Council and the Physical Dosimetry Network Council are nation-wide cooperation for the dose assessment. In addition to those network councils, educational training courses have been regularly conducted to medical professionals and disaster prevention personnel for the development of personnel for nuclear and radiological emergencies.
