Faulty Hip Implants Leave Patients Fighting Compensation Battle

For 10 years, Vijay Vojhala, a resident of Mumbai, has not just been struggling with the aftereffects of a faulty hip implant but he has also been fighting a compensation battle. The metal-on-metal acetabular surface replacement (ASR) implant, known as DePuy ASR, was sold in India by DePuy International, a unit of J&J. Now the company in a statement has said they voluntarily recalled the implants, but doing so does not mean they are faulty. The health ministry had set up a committee under former dean of Maulana Azad Medical College Dr Arun Agarwal, which submitted a report, recommending compensation of Rs 20 lakh for patients. The committee found that the firm was evasive in providing the information and least cared about those who are living an immobile life and forced to bed. It also blamed the company for the faulty device. While a total of 4,700 surgeries were conducted in India using J&J subsidiary DePuy's ASR hip replacement system, only 1,050 implants could be traced through the ASR helpline.