The South Australian government has given a formal apology to women affected by faulty mesh products, four years after a state parliament inquiry into the harm caused from the products made by Johnson and Johnson.
The 2021 inquiry, spearheaded by Torrens MP Dana Wortley, recommended that the South Australian government issue a public apology.
On Wednesday, the eve of International Mesh Awareness Day, Health Minister Chris Picton acknowledged in parliament the life-altering complications that many women and some men were left to face across Australia.
“I am here to offer an apology on behalf of the South Australian government to all South Australians impacted by the medical failure of surgical mesh implants,” said Picton.
“I am sorry for the pain, embarrassment and gaslighting you have endured. I am sorry for the times you questioned your own experiences, were dismissed by those who were meant to care for you and had to fight to receive the appropriate, compassionate and quality care you deserved.”
“It is our government’s responsibility to continue to improve services for those seeking care. We need to improve education for primary care so no woman is left dealing with these injuries by herself. We are committed to doing what we can to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Surgical mesh implants were originally developed to treat hernias, and they were later adapted for pelvic floor disorders, including stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, which can happen after childbirth.
In 2017, some implants in Australia were banned by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and in 2018, a federal senate inquiry found women who suffered from the mesh implants were ignored and mistreated.
Law firm Shine launched a class action, with more than 10,000 Australian women, against medical device giant Johnson and Johnson, which reached a $300 million settlement in 2022.
The year before, South Australia held its inquiry, which revealed widespread harm by the health system and medical profession towards many injured women and their families.
On International Mesh Awareness Day today, Wortley acknowledged all of the women who gave their time speaking to this South Australian inquiry, saying it took “courage” and “selflessness” to speak out about their experiences.
“While we can’t turn back the clock and change these events, we can learn from them and take steps to ensure they are never repeated. We have come some way, however, there is still more to be done,” Wortley said.
“This is not a report that sits on a shelf only to gather dust.”
In June 2023, the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Pelvic Mesh Clinic employed its first local and publicly credentialed urogynaecologist in over a decade. The clinic has performed 24 full mesh removals in the public health system, with 192 surgical procedures completed.