Consignment of hydroxychloroquine from India reaches US
New Delhi/IBNS: Days after the Indian government removed the ban on the export of the anti-malarial drug, the United States has received a consignment of hydroxychloroquine from India, which is seen as a possible cure for COVID-19.
The consignment arrived at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Saturday.
Announcing the same, Ambassador of India to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu tweeted: "Supporting our partners in the fight against #Covid19. Consignment of hydroxichloroquine from India arrived at Newark airport today."
Supporting our partners in the fight against #Covid19. Consignment of hydroxichloroquine from India arrived at Newark airport today. pic.twitter.com/XZ6utQ6JHr
— Taranjit Singh Sandhu (@SandhuTaranjitS) April 11, 2020
At the request of President Donald Trump, India cleared the export of 35.82 lakh tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the US along with nine metric tons of active pharmaceutical ingredient or API required in the manufacturing of the drug.
A day after threatening New Delhi with a "retaliation", President Trump on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him "great" following India's decision to export anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine to the COVID-19-hit nations.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump had said, "I bought millions of doses. More than 29 million. I spoke to PM Modi, a lot of it comes out of India. I asked him if he would release it? He was Great. He was really good.
You know they put a stop because they wanted it for India. But there is a lot of good things coming from that."
India has been treating its several COVID-19 patients with Hydroxychloroquine as a "potential" anti-Coronavirus drug though no scientific research has backed the treatment yet.
After Trump issued the warning, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said in a statement, "Given the enormity of the COVID19 pandemic, India has always maintained that the international community must display strong solidarity and cooperation."
"This approach also guided our evacuation of nationals of other countries," he said.
Speaking on supplying drugs, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities."
"We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic," he said.
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