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Health Hazards in Hospitals Due to Approved, Dangerous Equipment

More health hazards in hospitals as we learn from a recent investigation. Federal inspectors from the Department Of Health and Human Services have reopened an investigation into the approvals granted to medical scanners.  The investigation is based on complaints by Food and Drug Administration scientists, who say that they were pressured to approve some of these high-tech medical scanners in spite of evidence that they could cause harm to patients.

According to the New York Times, the investigation which had been dismissed earlier in February this year is being reopened, to inspect some broader issues.  According to the deputy inspector general of the Department Of Health And Human Services, the intent of the earlier investigation was to identify criminal issues, and that investigation had accomplished that.  However, the investigation is now being reopened from an administrative perspective.

Under scrutiny are complaints by scientists from the Food and Drug Administration who say that they were coerced into approving high-tech medical scanners without any supporting evidence.  In 2008, many of the scientists at the Food and Drug Administration alleged that agency management simply overrode their opinions on the medical scanners without any supporting evidence.  When the scientists wanted to go public with their concerns, they were subjected to threats and intimidation. This resulted in more <strong>heatlh hazards in hospitals</strong>.

The medical devices whose safety is being questioned here include MRI machines, CT scanners and other medical equipment that uses radiation to diagnose and treat diseases.  There have been dozens of reports of overdoses of radiation linked to the use of radiation equipment in several hospitals around the country.  One of the biggest scandals has broken out in California in several hospitals, including Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai.  The allegations are that patients suffered serious, and sometimes fatal injuries, from overdoses from the radiation equipment.  According to the scientists, the instances of over radiation from malfunctioning radiation equipment are exactly the kind of concerns that they had tried to address before granting approval to these devices.

California pharmaceutical liability lawyers and safety experts believe that the new investigation could help shine more light on these scientists’ concerns and the procedures for approval of many of these medical scanners.  At the heart of the matter is an approval process at the Food and Drug Administration that has been a bone of contention.  The fast-track approval process allows a speedier approval of medical devices that are similar to approved devices already on the market.  So popular is this fast-track approval process, that most of the devices that are approved every year are approved through this process.  Only a small minority of devices are approved with regular more intensive approval process.

Food and Drug Administration scientists have alleged that there is widespread abuse and misuse of the fast-track approval process.  The FDA whistleblowers went public with their concerns through letters to the Obama administration and Congress, written in 2008 and 2009.  As a result of their whistleblowing efforts, at least two scientists had their services terminated, and one quit after intimidation.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pharmaceutical liability. Please visit our website at http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us at contact@robertreeveslaw.com.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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