J&J implants:Health ministry to form committees in states for hearing patients' grievances

Amid reports of "faulty" hip replacements surgeries by multinational company Johnson and Johnson, the Union Health Ministry has decided to form committees at the state levels so that they can receive such complaints from affected patients.

The move comes after reports appeared in the media, saying the pharma giant "suppressed" facts on the harm of surgeries afterwards which was conducted on patients in India using "faulty" hip replacement systems.

According to reports, the expert committee, set up to investigate complaints about hip implant devices also has suggested that the company pay compensation of around Rs 20 lakh to the affected patients.

The Health Ministry said following the reports which appeared in the media, it has directed the formation of state level committees for hearing the grievances.

"The compensation to the patients will be decided based on examinations done on them. Now we have to assess how many (patients) are affected due to it. That is why state committees will be formed.

"Apart from this, advertisements will also be put up in prominent newspapers so that the affected patients know about this and can approach the committee with their grievances,"," The drugs controller general of India Eswara Reddy told PTI.

Sources in the Ministry said that once the state committees examines those affected, then they will give their recommendations to the expert committee at the Centre and accordingly the company will asked to compensate.

Reports quoting the expert committee findings say that over 3,600 patients with the faulty implants remain untraceable, and that at least four deaths have been reported from those who underwent surgeries using these devices.