// modify the 7 lines below
$banners= array('http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/prostatic-hyperplasia.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/dysmenorrhea.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/ectopic-pregnancy.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/pregnancy-risk.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/topamax.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/ibs.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/depression-new.gif','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/tacrolimus.gif','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/diabetes.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/personality-disorders.jpg','http://www.3-rx.com/aaa/banner/im/presbyopia.gif');
$alt_texts= array ('Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short, is the enlargement of the prostate gland. It is caused by excess growth of cells in the prostate. This condition is not the same as prostate cancer','Alternate Names : Dysmenorrhea. Menstrual cramps are the pain and cramping some women experience during their monthly periods. The term dysmenorrhea usually refers to pain and cramps severe enough to prevent normal activity','An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. The most common site is within a fallopian tube. More rarely an embryo may implant within an ovary, in the cervix, or on the abdominal wall','Pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. A pregnancy may be complicated by health problems or lifestyle issues known as risk factors. These risk factors can affect the mother or fetus, or both','Topiramate (toe-PYRE-a-mate) is used to help control some types of seizures in the treatment of epilepsy. This medicine cannot cure epilepsy and will only work to help control seizures for as long as you continue to take it.','Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a condition characterized by abdominal cramping, bloating, gas, and other changes in the bowels','Depression is a medical condition that leads to intense feelings of sadness or despair. These feelings don\'t go away on their own. They are not necessarily related to a particular life event','Tacrolimus ( ta-KROE-li-mus) ointment is used for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. This is a skin condition where there is itching, redness and inflammation, much like an allergic reaction','Type 2 diabetes mellitus, more often known as type 2 diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes','Personality disorders are chronic mental disorders','Presbyopia is an eye condition in which the lens loses the ability to focus over time');
$links= array('http://www.3-rx.com/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/menstrual-cramps/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/ectopic-pregnancy/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/pregnancy-risk-factors/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/drugs/detailed/topiramate/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/irritable-bowel-syndrome/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/depression.php','http://www.3-rx.com/drugs/detailed/tacrolimus-systemic/before-using.php','http://www.3-rx.com/diabetes.php','http://www.3-rx.com/personality-disorders/default.php','http://www.3-rx.com/presbyopia/default.php'); /* e.g. 'http://www.yoursite.com' */
$border="0";
$target="";
$width="150";
$height="300";
$action="";// for javascript enter 'js' else leave empty.
// YOU DO NOT NEED TO MODIFY BELOW
$random_no= count($banners);
$random=$random_no-1;
mt_srand ((double) microtime () * 1000000);
$rnd= mt_rand(0,$random);
$banner=$banners[$rnd];
$alt_text=$alt_texts[$rnd];
$link=$links[$rnd];
if ($action=="js")
{
echo("document.write('');");
}
else
{
echo"";
}
?>
The NHS may be buying medical equipment unethically and exploiting developing countries, it has been claimed in an article published on bmj.com today.
Unlike the campaigns for fair trade of goods like bananas and coffee, there have been no such campaigns for medical commodities, says Dr Mahmood Bhutta, a specialist registrar in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
Dr Bhutta says that while NHS suppliers are encouraged to act in an ethical business manner, they do not and there are currently no checks or assessments made into the origins of surgical instruments used by the NHS.
“The trade in surgical instruments is open to unethical sourcing because many such instruments are manufactured in the developing world,” writes Dr Bhutta.
The global trade in hand held stainless steel surgical instruments is worth around ?352million ($650m, ˆ507m) a year and many of these instruments are made by firms in towns in Europe and Asia. The two largest producers are Tuttlingen in Germany and Sialkot in Pakistan.
Companies in Sialkot use more traditional production methods with most instruments manufactured and finished by hand, so production is more labour intensive, employing 50,000 people (7,700 of whom are children aged from 7 and older) to supply a fifth of the world’s surgical instruments.
Many firms in Sialkot sub-contact the initial production of these instruments to workers in small workshops or their own homes in an attempt to reduce overheads and minimise costs. These workers earn around ?1 a day ($2, ˆ1.50).
The firms sell to suppliers and retailers in the developed world who then sell on to companies in Germany which sell to the NHS and elsewhere in the world at a marked up price, says Dr Bhutta.
“The solution lies in purchasers insisting on fair and ethical trade when sourcing instruments,” he adds.