#13 JournalChat// Modern Slavery, PPE & the NHS with Mahmood Bhutta

We welcome  Mr. Mahmood Bhutta an ENT surgeon who is an experienced campaigner in the fight for the ethical procurement of medical supplies.

We discuss how many of our medical supplies including PPE are produced in conditions that amount to modern slavery and how COVID-19 has affected this situation.

Important sources for the show:

• BMA fair medical trade 
• Time for a global response to labour rights violations in the manufacture of health-care goods, WHO bulletin by Mr. Mahmood Bhutta
• Clean Gloves, Dirty Practices: Debt Bondage in Malaysia's Rubber Glove Industry- The Diplomat article
• Guardian article on slave-like conditions of glove industry

Show Notes

• Background to the link between PPE & modern slavery (1:50)
• The secret to Mood's fascinating and diverse career (04:08)
• What is meant by modern slavery (08:04)
• Mood's personal story on how he became interested in ethical procurement (09:05)
• How involved is the NHS & the complexity of supply chains (10:50)
• Working conditions in which medical supplies are made (14:24)
• The glove industry (17:00)
• How do we get reliable data? (20:08)
• The effect of COVID-19 (22:35)
• How is the NHS responding (26:15)
• What can clinicians do? (28:05)
• Plugs (36:20)
• Take-home points (37:27)