From Your Coffee Cup to the Operating Table

by Zarah Patriana

Published February 27, 2009 @ 08:00AM PT

There's Fair Trade coffee for that morning buzz. You've packed a lunch in your Fair Trade lunch bag. The kids are playing H.O.R.S.E. with a Fair Trade basketball. Now doctors in the UK are hoping to soon ask to pass the fairly traded scalpel?  The British Medical Association has recently launched a campaign aimed at promoting the fair trade of medical supplies.

The campaign, which happens to coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight occuring in the UK, is the result of a report that was released last year revealing that child labor and dangerous working conditions were behind the production of medical supplies that the NHS (National Health Services in the UK) were purchasing. It is said that part of the problem behind this is that buyers, such as th NHS, are looking for the cheapest deal. Director of the Ethical Trading Initiative Dan Rees states,

The focus of public procurement has been value for money ... The hard facts are sometimes that where you find extreme forms of exploitation, then of course there are costs that have to be engaged.

Looks like globalization and the race to the bottom doesn't just apply to consumer goods.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Dr. Mahmood Bhutta who is the BMA's advisor on the Medical Fair and Ethical Trade Group.

There is evidence to suggest that many supplies used in the NHS are produced in unhealthy, unsafe and unfair working conditions. Workers in the developing world are poorly paid and are exposed to hazardous conditions where they risk serious injury and even death. It seems perverse that labourers around the world are risking their lives to supply us with equipment to save British lives.

A consultation has been released outlining guidelines for the ethical procurement of healthcare supplies in the UK. If you want to take a look at the full document, it is available. It is a hefty document, but quite informative if you have interest and some time.

Fair Trade standards and certification has primarily centered around consumer goods and the Fair Trade Certified label only appears on consumables as of now. An effort is currently in effect by the WFTO to provide a certification label for 100% Fair Trade organization that will allow somewhat of a certified label for handicrafts. The talk about fairly and ethical trading of medical supplies is a relatively new dialogue that looks like a necessary conversation to have as ethical trading shouldn't just be limited to items that people are consuming and and the public are purchasing. As Dr. Mahmood Bhutta puts it,

Fair trade is not just about the products we purchase, it is also about things that are purchased on our behalf. Taxpayers have an opportunity to tell the NHS they want medical equipment purchased in line with fair and ethical trade guidelines.

The British Medical Association are responding to the action of the NHS as an association of doctors and are encouraging the public to also voice their opinion and demand fair and ethical trade of medical supplies. If the people can do it for coffee and chocolate, it can be done for medical supplies as well.

The British Medical Association is keeping the public informed on any new developments of the campaign via a Facebook page if you are interested in updates. They also have Flickr stream set up with photos of the conditions behind the production of medical supplies in Pakistan. How very Web 2.0.

[photo: Chris Ryan]