HCQ Exports: US Hails India, Says ‘India Will Get First COVID-19 Vaccine’

The US President Donald Trump thanked India on April 08, 2020 citing the closer cooperation between the two nations.

Trump said India extended its helping hand in fighting the COVID-19 virus.

Trump’s statements came in response to the Indian Government’s decision to export Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) drug to US.

“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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight,” Donald Trump said in a tweet.

Speaking to media, Trump hailed Narendra Modi for this support and said India will be ahead of others in receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

“I spoke to Modi, a lot of it (hydroxychloroquine) comes out of India. I asked him if he would release it? He was great. He was really good. You know they put a stop because they wanted for India…” Modi told reporters.

Earlier this decision, Trump had confronted with the Indian Government after India took a gap to decide on the HCQ export to the US.

He said that the US Government would take retaliatory measures if India fails to export the drug.

Now, India is getting ready to export the HCQ drug, the anti-malarial drug, to some other nations too.

India had earlier banned the drug on March 25, 2020, owing to worries over shortage of supply domestically.

“In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would license paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighboring countries who are dependent on our capabilities,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a statement.

As per the sources, the US accounts for 47 percent half the HCQ supplies from India last year.

India is the leading producer of HCQ in the world. As NPPA states, just three Indian companies can alone produce 40 metric tons of HCQ per month.