Patients of faulty hip implants can seek damages

New Delhi: Anyone suffering from faulty hip implants by pharma giant Johnson and Johnson Pvt. Ltd (J&J) can apply for compensation, and not just those who have undergone revision surgery, the chairman of the central expert committee on the matter said on Monday.

Around 100 people fitted with J&J’s Acetabular Surface Replacement (ASR) hip implant have already approached the committee, formed by the government to work on compensation for aggrieved patients.

The ASR hip implant known as DePuy ASR was sold in India by DePuy International, a unit of J&J.

“The company would like to work with the expert committee and try and see what is the best way forward to be able to ensure that patients who require certain amounts of money as compensation… is fair, equitable and adequate…which is right for the patients. Because we will be taking care of the patients and that’s for sure and that’s the reason we would like to work with the government,” Sushobhan Dasgupta, managing director, J&J medical India and vice president (orthopaedics) for Asia Pacific, said in an interview last month.