More than 470 staff at Beaumont Hospital and 250 medical consultants across the State have backed a boycott of Teva Pharmaceuticals, an Israeli company that is a major drug supplier to the HSE.
The latest petitions follow similar action by staff at Children’s Health Ireland and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh.
Teva Pharmaceuticals, an Israeli multinational, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of generic and specialist drugs. The company, which makes Sudocrem, has a big presence in Ireland and is one of the largest suppliers of generic medicines to the HSE.
More than 250 consultants across Ireland have signed a letter to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster. The letter, seen by The Irish Times, said the consultants “believe it is our ethical duty to request that the HSE take immediate steps to discontinue the procurement and use of pharmaceuticals manufactured by Teva where viable alternatives exist”.
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“We acknowledge the need to maintain a stable supply of essential medicines for our patients and do not advocate for any measure that would compromise clinical care. However, many of these medications are available from other companies and we urge you to transition to these.”
The language is similar to that in a letter sent to Anne Coyle, chief executive of Beaumont Hospital. The letter was signed by 473 hospital staff members, including doctors, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, dietitians, catering staff, cleaning staff, porters, and security.
Emma O’Friel, a physician assistant at Beaumont Hospital, said the petition still stood while the ceasefire was ongoing. Ms O’Friel said “there are many continuing atrocities in Palestine which breach human rights and medical ethics”.
Staff at CHI and Cappagh Hospital in Tallaght previously argued that tax paid by Teva to the Israeli government “directly funds the diplomatic and military resources employed by the Israeli government to carry out a genocide and silence dissent domestically and internationally”.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said Mr Gloster had received the letter and was reviewing it. “The HSE is a public body funded by the Department of Health and as such is obliged to ensure that all its procurement activities comply with relevant Government guidelines and EU directives applicable to State bodies,” the spokeswoman said.
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The Department of Health said it “does not play a role in the procurement of any medicine under the EU Procurement Directive 2014/24/EU”. Beaumont Hospital declined to respond to requests for comment.
Teva has previously said any boycott of its medicine could “impose a risk on the health and wellbeing” of patients. A spokesman for Teva said it adhered to the “highest standards in ethics and business practices”.
He said its patients “rely on regular and reliable supply of medicines” and, as one of the largest manufacturers of generic medicines, Teva remained “committed to ensuring that our quality medicines remain available to our patients, regardless of their religion, beliefs, or ethnicity”.
“Any boycott on Teva may impose a risk on the health and wellbeing of those patients, the healthcare systems we serve, our global workforce and their families,” the spokesman said.
