The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) of Peru is promoting the inspiring work carried out by the Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy (IPEN) in the field of nuclear research and technological innovation for the benefit of the health of millions of Peruvians and the development of industries.
The holder of this portfolio, Francisco Ísmodes, stressed that IPEN provides knowledge and work relevant to the development of activities required by Peru. “Therefore, in the following months we hope to present in the Council of Ministers an action plan for the following years that allows IPEN to improve the use of research in the field of medicine that has been successfully carried out up to now,” he said.
Minister Ísmodes paid an inspection visit to the Óscar Miró Quesada de la Guerra Nuclear Center (Racso) of the IPEN, located in the Huarangal area, Carabayllo.
During his trip, the official verified the operation of the first nuclear reactor in Peru, considered the most powerful in Latin America and one of its most important functions is the production of radioisotopes that are used to diagnose cancer and other diseases.
One of the most visible benefits of nuclear applications is presented in the field of nuclear medicine and in Peru the Radioisotope Production Plant (PPRR) of the nuclear center is the protagonist of the production of radiopharmaceuticals for medical use.
The products produced by the IPEN contribute to more than 35,000 patients being treated in nuclear medicine centers for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.
Nuclear reactor applications are also used in the industry for oil well logging, interconnection of aquifers, study of reservoir leaks and in the detection of weld failures.