NEW DELHI : Senior Congress member Anand Sharma on Wednesday asked the government to come out with alaw to regulate medical devices amid the controversy over
faulty hip implants manufactured by a major US pharma company.
During the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Sharma said in the
last one decade a large number of patients in India as well as
in other countries have received faulty implants in particular
hip implants.
The hip implants “made by” US pharma major Johnson and
Johnson have caused trauma, sever infections, blood poisoning
due to cobalt and chromium leaks, he said, adding that some
patients also suffered organ failure and died.
Sharma said two of the implants were banned by the USFDA
and Australian regulators way back in 2010.
“But this was the year, when because of weak regulatory
laws in India and flawed presentations, they were allowed
entry in the Indian market and after that a large number of
patients have suffered,” he said.
He further said that in the United States, the same
pharma company has accepted to give over USD 1 billion as
compensation.
The Indian government had appointed a committee which
recommended Rs 20 lakh compensation to about 4,000 patients.
Sharma noted that the company said that only 66
patients have been identified or located.
“My submission here is that once the products were
withdrawn globally how could they enter the Indian market,” he
said, and asked the government to bring a law to regulate
medical devices in the country.
In his mention, RJD member Ahmad Ashfaque Karim suggested
that quota for Rajya Sabha MPs to recommend admissions of
students in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) should be raised from
the current 10.
To support his point, Karim said a Lok Sabha MP, who has
a quota of 10, makes recommendations of admissions in KV in a
particular area, but a Rajya Sabha MP can make recommendation
in any KV across the state.
BJP’s Vijay Pal Singh Tomar raised the issue of shortage
of medical facilities in Western Uttar Pradesh and demanded
setting up of an extension of AIIMS in the area.
Senior Congress member Viplove Thakur asked the
government to reconsider the decision to tax pension of
disabled ex-soldiers.
Ripun Bora (Cong) raised the issue of two public sector
paper mills in Assam. He said the Prime Minister had announced
a special package for the mills, closed since 2014.
He further said that as per the Ministry of Heavy
Industries over Rs 4,100 crore have been sanctioned for the
mills over the past few years, and yet the factories are
closed.
Bora demanded a CBI enquiry into the matter, in addition
to a special package for revival of the mills. He also
suggested that a parliamentary panel should visit the mills to
assess the ground situation. (AGENCIES)
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