India allows drug exports, says don’t politicise issue

Paracetamol, Hydroxychloroquine Is Under Licensed Category; Govt To Monitor Their Demand Position

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:08.04.2020

The government has opened up export of antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, depending upon availability and domestic requirements, not just to the US and other “badly affected countries” but also to neighbours dependent on India.

TOI had reported on Tuesday that India has partially opened up exports of hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol, responding to a global clamour led by US President Donald Trump.

After his request for hydroxychloroquine, which he claimed could help treat Covid-19, in a conversation with PM Narendra Modi on April 4, Trump on Monday seemed to follow it up with a threat when he said that “if he doesn’t allow it to come out, that would be okay, but of course, there may be retaliation, why wouldn’t there be”?

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday said that given the enormity of the Covid-19 pandemic, India had always maintained that the international community must display strong solidarity and cooperation and that this approach also guided India’s evacuation of nationals of other countries.

“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. We would, therefore, discourage any speculation in this regard or any attempts to politicise the matter,’’ Srivastava said.

The DGFT had notified lifting restrictions on 14 drugs on Monday. On paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine, the government has decided to keep these in a licensed category and to continuously monitor their demand position. However, Srivastava said the stock position could allow Indian companies to meet the export commitments that they had contracted.

India is among the largest producers of the drug and the government believes it has enough stock for domestic use.