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State panels to track hip implant patients
Why it is in news?
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said that State-level committees consisting of two orthopaedic surgeons or physical medical rehabilitation experts and one radiologist from government hospital, a representative from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and drug controller of respective States should be formed to identify patients who have received the faulty hip implant by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.
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- The notification made public on Tuesday also said States should advertise widely to reach out to the patients.
- The committee [of the Ministry which submitted its report recently] has recommended, among other things, the constitution of [a] Central Expert Committee and Regional Expert Committees for determining the exact quantum of compensation after taking into account the minimum amount of ₹20 lakh
- The compensation amount will be further calculated based on other factors such as the degree of disability and loss of wages.Patients can now reach out directly to the committees
- J&J’s Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) hip implant manufactured by its subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics was recalled globally in 2010 after reports of it leaching metals and causing severe pain, fluid accumulation, and metal poisoning in patients.
- However, till date, only 1080 patients have reached out to the ASR helpline set up by the pharma company for guidance on revision surgeries and reimbursement process and 275 have undergone revision surgeries.
- In 2011, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first initiated action against the pharmaceutical giant by registering an FIR at the Mahim police station in Mumbai and also alerted the DCGI.
- Soon after the surgery, the implant caused him severe pain. Tests revealed extremely high levels of cobalt and chromium deposits in the body.
Source
The Hindu