Trump requests PM Modi to release Hydroxychloroquine ordered by US

WASHINGTON DC: President Donald Trump has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the sale of Hydroxychloroquine tablets ordered by the US to treat the growing number of Coronavirus patients in his country, hours after India banned the export of the anti-malarial drug. Trump said he spoke to Prime Minister Modi on Saturday morning and made a request to release Hydroxychloroquine - an old and inexpensive drug used to treat malaria - for the US. “I called Prime Minister Modi of India this morning. They make large amounts of Hydroxychloroquine. India is giving it a serious consideration," Trump said at his daily news conference at the White House on Saturday.

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade on April 4 banned the export of Hydroxychloroquine and its formulations with immediate effect and made it clear that there will be no exceptions.

Trump said he would appreciate if India releases the amount of Hydrocoralline that the US has ordered.

“And I said I would appreciate if they (India) would release the amounts that we ordered, he said, without mentioning that quantity of Hydroxychloroquine that has been ordered by US companies from India. With more than three lakh positive cases and over 8,000 fatalities, the US has emerged as the global epicentre of the Coronavirus

With US President Donald Trump describing hydroxychloroquine as a “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19 and several countries, including India, approving it for emergencies, pharmacies are reporting a surge in demand for the drug yet to be proven as a cure for the virus. Over the last few weeks, India has banned exports of host of medical devices, including sanitiser, all types of ventilators and surgical masks.

There is a shortage of hand sanitiser and face masks in the market amid the coronavirus outbreak as people resorted to panic buying.