Panel to evaluate claims of 15 J&J implant patients
NEW DELHI: After eight years of struggle, patients with “faulty” hip implants sold by a subsidiary of pharma giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) Pvt. Ltd can finally expect to receive damages.
A central expert committee formed by the government will meet on Tuesday to evaluate cases of the first 15 patients who had approached the drug regulatory authority for financial compensation. This will be the firstever initiative of compensation being paid for sub-standard treatment in the country.
The government had on September 11 constituted the committee under the chairmanship of Dr. RK Arya, director at sports injury centre, Safdarjung Hospital, to decide on the quantum of compensation and medical management for patients with the “faulty” hip implants.
“In their first meeting, the experts will design a protocol that will be adopted to decide on compensation for the affected patients,” said a senior health ministry official, on condition of anonymity.
“About 15 patients have come forward and approached the legal cell of CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization). Based on the documents submitted by them, they will be called and referred to government hospitals to examine the extent of the damage,” the official added.
A company spokesperson said they are cooperating with the government to develop a clear process for providing further support and compensation for ASR (acetabular surface replacement) patients. “We are also ramping up our helpline and adding additional responses to support patients.”
The government has also asked principal and health secretaries to form state-level committees to examine details of the affected patients and determine the quantum of compensation for patients who had to undergo corrective surgery after being fitted with “faulty” hip implants sold by the J&J subsidiary.
The state-level committees, the panel said, will evaluate the claim made by patients from disability and suffering caused from using the device. The total compensation will be decided by the central committee on the basis of the base amount and loss of wages.
In 2017, the ministry formed an expert committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Arun Agarwal, former dean of Maulana Azad Medical College, which suggested at least ₹20 lakh be paid to each patient.