India’s ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has said a consignment of hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug being cited as many as game-changer in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, from India arrived at Newark, New Jersey on Saturday.
“Supporting our partners in the fight against #Covid19. Consignment of hydroxychloroquine from India arrived at Newark airport today,” Sandhu tweeted.
India, the largest producer of hydroxychloroquine, had agreed to lift the ban on the export of the medicine to the US after President Donald Trump spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone.
Trump had thanked India for its decision to export the anti-malarial drug to the US, which is the worst-hit country in the world in terms of the number of Covid-19 related deaths.
“Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you PM Modi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!” the US president had tweeted.
India is also sending the drug to Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Seychelles, Mauritius and some African countries. One of the early consignments, an Air India plane with 10 tonnes of medicine, was sent to Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
The government has also cleared export of Covid-19 drugs to countries such as Spain, Brazil, Bahrain, Germany and the UK in line with the commercial contracts signed with Indian pharmaceutical companies.
The United States now leads the global tally and global death toll due to coronavirus as 20,000 people have died so far. The Covid-19 infections in the US have now grown to 529,740 cases.
