Britain seeks law change to ban medical supplies from China's Xinjiang
April 23, 2022, 7:47 am

Britain seeks law change to ban medical supplies from China's Xinjiang

UK lawmakers to consider ban on medical supplies from China's Xinjiang (Photo: Pixabay)

The Swissinfo reported, citing Reuters, Britain's lawmakers will next week consider proposed changes to legislation that would ban the government from buying medical supplies made in China's Xinjiang region, after pressure from rights groups over Beijing's treatment of the Uyghur people.

Rights groups and lawmakers accuse China of widescale abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups, including the torture, forced labour and detention of one million people in internment camps.

China says the camps are re-education and training facilities and denies any abuse, saying it is fighting religious extremism.

An amendment proposed by Britain's upper house of parliament to the Health and Social Care Bill that would seek to eradicate modern slavery from health service supply chains will be considered by lawmakers in the lower house.

Uyghur Muslims in China (Photo: Pixabay)

Politico reported that health minister Sajid Javid supported the move. The Department of Health and Social Care had no immediate comment.

The amendment does not mention Xinjiang specifically but requires the government to ensure the procurement of all goods and services for the health service in England "avoids modern slavery."

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Politico said the law change could require private companies obtaining National Health Service (NHS) contracts to meet criteria on modern slavery grounds, potentially creating a blacklist of companies that fail its tests.

Source: swissinfo

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”