NHS reliant on exploitative Malaysian factories for PPE, expert says

At least 16 suppliers used by the UK government source their products from the Asian nation, where labour abuses and poor workers’ rights are ‘endemic’, reports Samuel Lovett

The NHS is the single biggest purchaser of medical gloves in the world (AFP/Getty)

The NHS is wholly reliant on the Malaysian glove-manufacturing industry, where the exploitation and degradation of migrant workers is “endemic”, a leading expert has warned.

At least 16 glove suppliers used by the UK government source their products from Malaysia, The Independent understands.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has also said that 760,981,000 surgical and examination gloves have been sourced from Malaysian factories since January 2020.