The Indian government has partially lifted the ban on the exports of Hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol, depending on the availability of stock and after meeting domestic requirements and existing orders. Earlier, India’s export ban had cut off the United State’s half of the supplies of the drug. US President Donald Trump said that he was unaware that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had banned the export of the drug.
US President said that there might be retaliation if India declines the export
US President Donald Trump, in a press briefing, informed that he talked to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone on Sunday and asked him to ensure the supply of the drug. He further said that if New Delhi declines to export the medicine, there might be retaliation. India has now agreed to lift the ban on the export of Hydroxychloroquine partially. According to the Bloomberg report, 47% of the US supply of the drug last year came from India.
India is assessing the quantities that can be exported while ensuring domestic demand
India is one of the largest producers of this anti-malaria drug, and several countries depend on India and not just the USA. If the COVID 19 outbreak happens in African countries, would India be able to export these drugs? The government officials said that been assessing the quantities that can be exported while ensuring domestic demand is met. Currently, this medicine is only advised for specific health workers as the drug has not been well researched about its effectiveness in treating COVID 19 patients.
The United States of America has the most number of COVID 19 positive cases at the moment. So far, over 367,000 people have been diagnosed with this deadly virus, and over 10,000 people have lost their lives in the country.
