A big question on KCR Kits

​Hyderabad: Telangana Health department officials have all reasons to be extremely worried in the wake of a US court ordering global pharma giant Johnson & Johnson to pay a huge compensation of $4.69 billion to 22 women and their families who had claimed that asbestos in company’s talcum powder caused them to develop ovarian cancer.

Telangana officials are worried because Johnson baby powder is one of the components in KCR Kits’ pack, being given away to mothers and new-borns across the state.

Each KCR Kit worth Rs 2000 comprises nearly 16 items, including clothes, baby soaps, baby oil, baby shampoo, baby talcum powder, diapers and so on and it is given to every mother after delivery in state hospitals.

Each month, the Health department is distributing nearly 20,000 kits in total in 31 districts of the state and understandably baby powder has to be procured in big quantities.

Even as sources in New Delhi are saying that the Union Health Ministry might look into the present row involving healthcare major, Telangana is likely to follow suit. Senior officials in the Health department stated that they would take it up with their bosses in the government and if needed samples of the baby powder will be sent to a laboratory to check for the presence of asbestos.

Authorities are relating the fresh controversy with the ban imposed on Maggi noodles three years ago after it was found that the lead content in it was beyond permissible limits.

"Many states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala and Punjab, imposed a ban forcing Nestle to withdraw its largest-selling noodle brand from shops across the country. It has to be seen whether the Centre will step into this issue or each state might have to check talcum powder sample and take a call," they said.

Dr C Sairam, radiation oncologist from city, said the continued exposure to asbestos can lead to cancer. He said cosmetic products do not fall under the control of food and drug regulatory bodies that have strict laws and guidelines. The doctor felt that the US court had come to a conclusion based on several articles of evidence presented before it and hence its decision stands everywhere.

Meanwhile, in an official statement given to this paper, Johnson & Johnson stated that it remains confident that its products do not contain asbestos and do not cause ovarian cancer and intends to pursue all available appellate remedies.

Every verdict against Johnson & Johnson in this court that has gone through the appeals process has been reversed and the multiple errors present in this trial were worse than those in the prior trials which have been reversed, the company stated.

“Johnson & Johnson is deeply disappointed by the verdict, which was the product of a fundamentally unfair process that allowed plaintiffs to present a group of 22 women,” it said.