A campaigner for surgical mesh sufferers hopes victims will receive compensation and an apology as a result of forums due to be held later this month.
Photo: 123RF
More than 1000 people who have had surgical mesh implants have reported complications ranging from mild to debilitating.
The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that it will hold forums in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin from later this month, to hear from victims, which will be run by The Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, at Victoria University of Wellington.
Carmel Berry, from the surgical mesh victims advocacy group, Mesh Down Under, said it is about time that victims had a chance to share their stories.
"The ministry just have not heard the full impact of what's going on and so that's what we want to happen.
"I know that a lot of people have expenses, medical bills, that they have on-going costs for medicine and on-going costs for doctors treatments - I'd like to see that to be funded.
"A lot of people have had to lose their homes and jobs because they can't work and ACC have declined 26 percent of patient claims so we need to put something in place to look after everybody, not just the people ACC have covered."
The Ministry of Health's chief nursing officer Margaret Broodkoorn has said that compensation and a formal apology "are on the cards" but they wanted to hear from victims about what they want first.
Registrations to attend are now open.
