Washington: The US wants hydroxychloroquine tablets from India to treat Covid-19 patients.
President Donald Trump said that he requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the anti-malaria drug during their conversation on Saturday.
Experts are divided over the effectiveness of hydrochloroquine in treating coronavirus patients with many in India being of the view that the drug should not be used for the pandemic which is wreaking havoc across the world.
“India is giving serious consideration to releasing the hold it put on a US order for hydroxychloroquine,” Trump said at the White House coronavirus task force briefing.
“I may take it too, will have to talk to my doctors,” the President added.
“India makes a lot of it. They need a lot too for their billion-plus people. The hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug will be released through the Strategic National Stockpile for treatment,” Trump informed.
“I said I would appreciate if they would release the amounts that we ordered (of hydroxychloroquine)”.
The Indian government has put on hold the export of hydroxychloroquine and its formulations.
