India to export HCQ, paracetamol tablets to 55 nations

Sandeep Dikshit
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 16

India is preparing shipments of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol tablets for 55 countries, even as the Ministry of External Affairs has set about sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits from a large number of countries. The first mega shipments from China and South Korea are expected to land later in the night.

While the government had continued to evacuate foreigners stranded in India, with several flights leaving the country daily, it has advised its nationals stranded abroad to stay put. India has so far sent back 35,000 foreigners from 48 countries. However, for Indians stuck abroad, sources advice “patience”, by hunkering down wherever they are currently based. Indian missions will be at hand to provide support and guidance.

The government also has no plans to bring back over 3,300 stranded Indians who have tested positive for COVID. There is no word on the fate of the bodies of 25 Indians who have died abroad due to the epidemic. Sources denied that the inaction was due to the absence of quarantine facilities. They suggested that these infected persons had the potential to spread the virus if they were moved out from medical care in the countries where they are stranded.

“India has been recognised as a reliable global supplier of medicine during this humanitarian crises. We have reached out to many countries and will continue to do so,’’ said sources, while pointing out that the decision to export HCQ and paracetamol was taken after stock-taking by a committee consisting of officials from the Department of Commerce, ICMR, Drug Controller and MEA.

“We created a buffer and allowed the surplus to be exported,’’ said the sources.

Chinese suppliers have sent a large consignment of 6.5 lakh testing kits, out of which 5.5 lakh are rapid anti-body testing kits and the rest RNA Extraction kits. A large consignment of PPE is expected shortly while more testing kits are arriving from Korea. The MEA has also taken quotations for PPE and testing kits from UK, Malaysia, France, Canada and the US and it has obtained leads from Germany and Japan. This is in addition to efforts from private companies to import ventilators, testing kits and protection equipment.