Campaigner blasts drug firm's 'gesture'
A HARROGATE thalidomide victim, who is spearheading a worldwide crusade for justice for all sufferers, has reacted with anger to a compensation offer made by the original manufacturers of the drug.
Guy Tweedy, who is the spokesman of the International Contergan Thalidomide Alliance (ICTA), described the offer of an extra 50 million euros to the foundation that supports German survivors – the equivalent of three euros per day – as an insult.
Tweedy, 45, said: "This money from the Wirtz family (the owners of Chemie Grunenthal) is a cynical gesture to buy off discontent among Thalidomiders.
"We put forward a detailed financial plan that will enable Thalidomide survivors around the world to live the remainder of their lives independently and with dignity.
"This included an average €1 million per survivor (regardless of their country of residence or birth), multiplying the current German pension by six times and the setting up of an international panel of medical experts to assess the damage to people who have received no support to date in countries like Spain, Italy and Austria.
"It looks like the Wirtz family offer was plucked from the air; it seems not to be based on any assessment of anybody's needs."
He added: "If they really wanted to make amends to the thousands of people damaged by the Thalidomide drug, they should sit down with the ICTA and negotiate a proper and sustainable settlement."
The Alliance – which represents thalidomiders in Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Austria, Canada, and Australia – points out that very few people will benefit from the extra payment offered by the Wirtz family.
The ICTA says its financial plan is based on detailed calculations of the cost of living with Thalidomide damage. It has renewed its call for representatives of the Grunenthal company – owned by the Wirtz family – to sit down and negotiate along with representatives of the German government.
"We want both parties to contribute to its financial plan since it holds both of them responsible for the thousands of people living with Thalidomide damage, as well as thousands of babies who died in the womb or just after birth."
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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