The ruling parties and the sufferers of hepatitis C infection via tainted blood products who have filed damages lawsuits have reached agreement on "blanket" government relief for them and other hepatitis C infection victims. This is welcome. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's decision to "achieve a breakthrough" in the compensation issue should also be welcome. But even with the agreement, many hepatitis C victims are unlikely to receive the relief because of their lack of needed documentation. The government and lawmakers should devise a way to help such victims.
An estimated 12,000 people contracted hepatitis C via tainted blood products. Under the agreement, a bill will ambiguously express the government's responsibility for causing "huge harm" but will clearly mention that it is responsible for failing to prevent the infection from spreading. The government and drug makers will jointly pay ¥12 million, ¥20 million or ¥40 million in compensation depending on the severity of the victims' suffering.
A fund to pay the compensation will be established at the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency. The total payment is expected to reach some ¥20 billion.