The official ISRRT 2021 World Radiography Day Poster and 2021 ISRRT Special Edition (click on images to view/download)
On behalf of the NZIMRT “Happy World Radiography Day”!
The ISRRT poster celebrating World Radiography Day is beautiful in its simplicity. There for the world to see is the face of the Medical Imaging Technologist / Radiographer embodied in the image of a chest x-ray.
I share in the frustration when Medical Imaging Technologists are not seen as ‘front line’. This frustration has been felt world wide where many radiographers have been expected to perform their roles in Covid scenarios with minimal or no PPE, whom have received little or no recognition for the care provided and yet continue to step up and face the unknown.
As the reality of what the world has faced is now front and centre for New Zealanders, I wish to say thank you to those in Tamaki Makaurau whom have led the way, facing multiple patients with Covid 19. The New Zealand health service is on a cusp and as frontline staff we will be faced with many unknowns. Sharing our knowledge and experiences can help ensure that we can build on the learnings of each other and by doing so eliminate some of the risks associated with caring for patients with such a virulent virus.
Let us recognise that our profession is greater than medical imaging. Cancer treatments continue, interventional procedures are still required, babies are still born, the list goes on. Radiation Therapists, Sonographers, Nuclear Medicine Technologists all continue to maintain a service to their communities in the face of the pandemic.
We belong to a profession of which we can be very proud. From the discovery of x-rays when Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen imaged himself and family paying the ultimate cost, our profession has led the way in supporting the health welfare of communities worldwide.
It is hard to think about celebrating when we may already be struggling with the workload, and fearful of what may be in store. Just take time to remember how each and everyone of you makes a difference in the lives of the people you meet in your day-to-day work. Think about one smile, squeeze of a hand, thank you, snippet of conversation that left you with a warm feeling. You are appreciated, sometimes people are in just too vulnerable a place to share that.
Happy World Radiography Day and Stay Safe!
Kathy Colgan, ISRRT Director
World Radiography Day is celebrated on 8 November each year. The date marks the anniversary of the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895.
Members of the profession worldwide use the day to promote radiography and radiation therapy as careers, as a vital contribution to modern healthcare and as a chance to increase public awareness of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy.
Becoming an Associate member of the International Society of Radiographers & Radiological Technologists (ISRRT) can help support our profession through the development of educational materials, collaboration with WHO supporting basic safety guides & the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) promoting radiation safety practices. For an average cost of NZ$30.00 per year (£30.00 for 3 years) you can make a positive difference to the profession worldwide!