A LOBBY group for women whose lives have been ruined by vaginal mesh implants says the government’s apology to those affected by decades of “agony and pain” still falls short.
Health Minister Greg Hunt issued a national apology last Wednesday to women who are suffering debilitating pain from mesh implants as he released the government’s response to a senate inquiry report, promising “sweeping action”.
"On behalf of the Australian government, I say sorry to all of those women with the historic agony and pain that has come from mesh implantation which have led to horrific outcomes," he told the ABC.
"My message to them is your voice has been heard, and not just heard but acted upon."
But Mesh Injured Australia – a patient support group for people affected by mesh implants – said while it acknowledges Mr Hunt’s apology more needs to be done, including introducing an Australia-wide ban on all prolapse and stress urinary incontinence mesh.
“After waiting a distressing six months for the Government’s official response to Senate Inquiry’s report and recommendations, Australian women acknowledge Minister Hunt’s apology,” said Mesh Injured Australia co-founder and Vice President Kim Blieschke.
But she added, while the apology “proportionally validates the 20 years of pain and suffering for thousands of women...It does not compensate for women feeling like an insignificant priority.”
Vaginal mesh implants have been given to about 8000 Australian women since the 1990s to treat pelvic floor damage.
Many were treated for stress incontinence and prolapse, often after giving birth, resulting in chronic and debilitating pain and the inability to have sex.
Mrs Blieshke, a mother-of-three from Port Pirie in South Australia, said she has suffered years of pain and suffering after a transvaginal mesh operation in 2006.
The Senate inquiry heard horror stories from women who had the implants. In its response, the government said it supports, or supports in principle, 12 out of 13 committee recommendations which included mandatory reporting of adverse effects on women, more information about the risks of implants and better training for doctors and surgeons.
A stronger message needs to be sent... about the devastating impacts of these surgical devices on women’s bodies, their minds and the lives of their loved ones
- Kim Blieschke, Mesh Injured Australia
“While the government has supported 12 of the 13 recommendations of the Senate inquiry, half of these are supported in principle rather than in substance,” said Mrs Blieschke.
The organisation is calling for an Australia-wide ban on all POP and SUI mesh “or at least a suspension on them both, pending further inquiry,” added Mrs Blieschke.
“There must be an urgent medical protocol agreed nationally and implemented by the sates that restrict usage of these medical devices to instance of last resort only, as implemented in the UK and Scotland.”
“A stronger message needs to be sent to health practitioners about the devastating impacts of these surgical devices on women’s bodies, their minds and the lives of their loved ones.”
The organisation also called for mesh-injured women to be at the centre of co-designing trauma-based models of multidisciplinary care that includes access to removal by skilled clinicians, pain management and psychological support.
“We would like to see an equivalent model of the National Disability Insurance Scheme for mesh-injured Australians,” added Mrs Blieschke.
The federal government said it plans to work with states and territories to set up a voluntary national register of mesh recipients recording the issues they experienced.
"I would like to see it set up by the end of 2019, if not the middle of the year," Mr Hunt said.
Patient lobby groups want to make it compulsory for health practitioners to report side-effects of implantable devices.
The government has also established Medicare benefit payments for the removal of pelvic mesh implants and related treatments.
Medicare items have also been changed to restrict the use of the mesh in surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse.
The states and territories are being asked to conduct an audit of the devices.
Geraldine Cardozo
Features Editor at The Senior.
Features Editor at The Senior.
