"A guest blog from Cindy Berman: Who pays for our surgical instruments?", 22 June 2020

80% of the surgical instruments the NHS imports come from Sialkot, Pakistan. But a new report highlights how international buying practices have driven a race to the bottom on labour standards, and are fuelling child labour.  

Coronavirus has made us acutely aware of the importance of procuring medical and protective equipment to save lives. 

We need high-quality, reliable health supplies delivered quickly to where they need to be. And as taxpayers, we expect our governments to spend our money wisely. 

But how often do we ask our governments how they procure goods and services for our hospitals and clinics? Who makes them? Where they come from? 

...Some of the world’s highest quality surgical instruments are produced in Sialkot in Pakistan. The region is also known for manufacturing footballs and other household goods.

It is estimated that Sialkot produces more than 170 million surgical instruments every year. It manufactures over 10,000 different medical instruments, covering all basic and surgical segments. There are around 3,000 companies – the largest units employing around 450 people, and the smaller ones employing around 15.

Last year, 20 years after a scandal revealed how child labour was being used to sew footballs for the FIFA World Cup, Sialkot factories were once again selected to produce the balls.

Over the last few years, the industry has worked with major sporting brands, ILO, government, NGOs and unions to improve labour standards...