isrrt Newsletter Volume 43. No.2 - 2007
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ISRRT thanks WHO Officer for his support<br />
Report by Robert George, President ISRRT<br />
Report<br />
The Board of Management regrets that we will<br />
be losing a good colleague and friend in Dr Harald<br />
Ostensen who retires shortly from his position as Coordinator<br />
of the Diagnostic Imaging Global Steering<br />
Group at the World Health Organisation (WHO).<br />
Harald became a Specialist in Radiology in Norway<br />
in 1980. He worked for several years in Norwegian<br />
Hospitals including a period as Head of Dept., Oslo<br />
University Hospital. Following this, he was for five<br />
years, Head of internal and external education and<br />
training worldwide for Nycomed AS, Oslo.<br />
Harald was then was appointed Coordinator for<br />
Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory Technologies,<br />
WHO, Geneva, and in close collaboration with members<br />
of the Global Steering Group for education and training<br />
in Diagnostic Imaging (established in 1999) which<br />
included ISRRT, he was responsible for developing and<br />
carrying out many basic training courses focusing on<br />
simple QA in small and remote hospitals in developing<br />
countries with few resources.<br />
He was instrumental in developing some 15 WHO<br />
Manuals aimed at relatively untrained radiographers<br />
and x-ray operators in order to help them achieve better<br />
results. ISRRT was pleased to be invited to assist Harald<br />
with several of these manuals and also to be associated<br />
with projects such as the Centre of Excellence Workshops<br />
in Fiji for the Western Pacific area.<br />
Most recently, Harald initiated<br />
a pilot study in Tanzania trialling<br />
low-cost CR digital imaging as<br />
a solution to problems with film<br />
processing in remote areas which<br />
it is hoped will lead to simple, lowcost<br />
Teleradiology in developing<br />
countries.<br />
Harald has worked tirelessly<br />
in his role for WHO, has always<br />
supported ISRRT, and has always<br />
recognised the important role<br />
that radiographers and radiologic<br />
technologists play. We wish him<br />
well in his retirement when, together<br />
with his wife, he will be tending<br />
some vines in a quiet corner of<br />
France. <br />
Top: Sandy Yule (L) with Harald Ostensen (R).<br />
Bottom: Harald Ostensen (R) with some members of the Fiji<br />
WHO Centre of Excellence Planning Group.<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> 43 – No. 2 9
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