J&J faulty hip implant victims demand direct involvement in process of ascertaining compensation

Patients and family members of those affected by Johnson and Johnson's faulty hip implants gathered in Delhi Saturday demanding they be directly involved in the process of ascertaining the compensation.

They asserted the amount should not only be based on the physical, medical criteria but also take into account the mental, social and economic harm faced by them.

They expressed apprehension that the government could "toe the line" of the pharma giant as it was conducting an one-sided inquiry.

The affected patients said the government was jointly liable as it was neither responsive to the safety concerns associated with the device in other countries nor did it take immediate steps to order a mandatory recall and cancel the license of the firm.

Their demands came in the wake of news reports that the central committee being set up for compensation is likely to meet for the first time on September 18.

The AIDAN, a network of patients working with the patients, called for criminal action against all involved, including people in government who failed to act against the use of such harmful implants.

They also responded to claims of Johnson and Johnson that it has been unable to trace the majority of ASR -- anywhere between 2,400 to 3,700 -- because it did not have access to patient details which were only available to surgeons because of confidentiality.

George Thomas, chief orthopaedic surgeon, St Isabel's Hospital in Chennai said, "All joints for human implantation have stickers which are used to trace the individual joint. As per normal protocols, one of these stickers has to be pasted in the surgical record of the patient. Therefore, it is difficult to believe that the patients cannot be found."