The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the world’s largest nursing organisation, has cut its commercial ties with the Israeli drugmaker Teva. The RCN said the decision took into account the company’s links with the Israeli military and past allegations of corruption and bribery.
According to a report by Middle East Eye, the RCN has removed Teva UK as sponsor and partner of an upcoming event at its London headquarters on 30 October.
The RCN, which represents about 600,000 nurses, made the decision after campaigns by Nurses for Palestine and UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges. An open letter from nurses, midwives and health workers had criticised the partnership, accusing Teva of links with the Israeli military and of various irregularities.
RCN council chair Carmel O’Boyle confirmed the decision in a letter to Nurses for Palestine, saying the RCN would no longer have a commercial partnership with Teva UK but the 30 October event would go ahead as planned.
The RCN said further checks had found legal sanctions and public criticism concerning some of Teva Pharmaceuticals’ activities, which it considered inconsistent with the values of the RCN and its education and publishing arm, RCNi.
Pro-Palestinian groups welcomed the decision as an important step for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Teva expressed disappointment and accused the RCN of allowing healthcare to be politicised.
Teva is one of the world’s largest generic drugmakers. Over the past decade the European Commission and US authorities have fined it about £1 billion, or $1.3 billion, over price-fixing, bribery and abuse of market power, Middle East Eye reported. A new price-fixing case against the company is also under way in the United States.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report