PUTRAJAYA, April 23 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has found no technical evidence to support allegations of a cancer cluster at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre’s (UMMC) Nuclear Medicine Unit, following a thorough investigation sparked by a viral social media message.
The ministry’s Medical Radiation Regulatory Division (MRRD) conducted the probe to assess radiation safety levels and compliance with the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984.
The investigation concluded that radiation safety levels at the facility are safe, controlled, and present no critical compliance issues.
“There is no technical evidence to support the claim that radiation exposure at this facility has caused cancer cases among staff,” the MOH said in a statement today.
The investigation was initiated in response to a viral message that spread on social media, alleging the existence of a cancer cluster among the unit’s staff.
The message claimed the cluster was the result of breaches in the hospital’s standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The allegations had previously been rejected by Universiti Malaya itself. In an earlier statement, the university described the claims as “unsubstantiated” and “misleading,” confirming that its own internal reviews showed full compliance with MOH regulations.
The MOH reiterated that the safety of patients, healthcare workers, and the public remains its top priority. It assured the public that periodic monitoring and compliance audits will continue to be carried out at all facilities to ensure adherence to prescribed radiation safety standards.
The ministry also advised the public not to engage in speculation or spread unverified information that could cause unnecessary public anxiety.
Earlier this month, a former X-ray technician alleged that at least seven colleagues at UMMC’s nuclear medicine unit had developed serious illnesses including stage four Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, leukaemia, breast cancer, and thyroid disease.
The technician alleged that these cases coincided with the installation of a positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) machine years earlier, compounded by alleged SOP breaches such as inadequate protective equipment, poor radiation shielding, and others.
