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Prime Minister Meets with the Nationwide Plaintiffs Group in Lawsuits related to Hepatitis Contraction through Blood Products
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Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda met with around 100 of the plaintiffs in lawsuits related to hepatitis contraction through blood products, who came from across the nation, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence.
Prior to the meeting, a basic agreement was signed between the plaintiffs and Mr. Yoichi Masuzoe, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, which included statements of the government's responsibility and apologies, as well as the details of the settlement. Upon the signing of the basic agreement, Prime Minister Fukuda said, "I, too, felt greatly relieved that the agreement was reached, and at the same time, my heart is filled with profound feeling. About five years have passed since the filing of the lawsuit, during which time some plaintiffs have passed away, and the others have endured various hardships and anxieties. We as the government must reflect thoroughly on whether or not those in the administration have been truly acting for the people, and as the representative of the administration I would like to extend my apologies for all the difficulties we have caused." Furthermore, the Prime Minister said, "I have renewed my resolve to reflect deeply on medical care, and health and welfare administration, so that the same kind of incident will never occur again," and expressed his intention to steadily provide aid, including the grant for medical expenses, while improving therapeutic goods administration. Ms. Michiko Yamaguchi, the representative of the plaintiff group, said in response, "Today, we signed a basic agreement for the settlement with Minister Masuzoe and we were finally able to shake hands with him with a heartfelt smile," and requested that the Prime Minister ensure that Japan is truly free of contaminated biomedical products. Related links:
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