More than 100 people are set to sue the central government, possibly in January, for damages of ¥3 million each over hepatitis C infections at two clinics in a Hokkaido town.
The plaintiffs — individuals in their 40s to 80s who underwent treatment at the clinics through the 1980s, including those who have died and are represented by their families — say the infections caused by the use of needles that were not properly disinfected have led to diseases such as chronic hepatitis and liver cancer, their lawyers said Monday.
They argue that the central government failed to properly oversee disinfection of the needles.