Give wide publicity to panel formed on faulty hip implant compensation: SC

New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday directed that wide publicity be given to a committee and the principles for grant of compensation to those who were implanted with Johnson & Johnson's faulty hip implants.

The bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said aggrieved persons could approach the committee, as it accepted the report on the steps taken by the government to address the grievance the patients given faulty DePuy ASR hip implants.

"The constitution of the Committee and the principles for award of compensation have to be given wide publicity to enable all the affected persons to approach the committee", the court said.

The court was told that the recommendation of the expert committee that was set up to determine the quantum of compensation payable to the patients who were given DePuy ASR hip implants has been accepted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The court was also informed that the expert committee headed by Dr R.K. Arya has recommended that "compensation up to the extent of Rs 1.22 crore approximately can be granted to the aggrieved patients who were implanted with the faulty implants.

The court was told that a public notice has been issued on September 9, 2018 to enable the aggrieved persons to approach the committee

Accepting the response from the Centre, the court disposed of the PIL by Arun Kumar Goenka even as senior counsel Salman Khurshid said there were 15,000 aggrieved patients who were affected by the hip implant.

The PIL petitioner had also sought direction to the Centre to advertise across the country about the recall of DePuy ASR Implant and device a suitable mechanism for the safety of 14,525 who were implanted with faulty implants.