Christian doctors seek federal help to find slavery victims
by Ed Thomas
February 16, 2007
(OneNewsNow.com) - - A spokesman for the Christian Medical Association says the 16,000-member group is asking the Bush administration and its federal agencies to take part in a nationwide education campaign to help medical professionals better identify victims of human trafficking. Christian Medical Association (CMA) member Dr. Jeffrey Barrows has prepared continuing education materials and taught doctors about the existence of modern-day slavery and how to identify the tell-tale signs of victimization by traffickers. He points to a recent study, one that found 28 percent of human trafficking victims were taken to see healthcare professionals and not identified, as evidence that the teaching is needed.
In addition to raising the general awareness of medical and healthcare professionals about human trafficking, Barrows says, 'we're teaching them things to look for.' Also, he mentions, 'We have actually put together an online, continuing medical education program that doctors, dentists, and nurses can get continuing education credits for taking."
The program is downloadable from the CMA website, the Christian physician notes. The aim of the training, he explains, is not only to inform healthcare providers about the human trafficking issue but also to teach them 'how to find these victims and what to do if they do suspect they are dealing with a patient who might be a victim of human trafficking."
Barrows and the group's other doctors are hoping to see the information campaign go even further. Their hope is that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State will champion a human trafficking educational emphasis that will reach all medical professionals and their specialty groups.
CMA's emphasis on human trafficking is being advanced in conjunction with the soon-to-be-released movie Amazing Grace, a biographical film on abolitionist William Wilberforce. The release of the movie has been timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the end of the slave trade in Britain.
