On Wednesday, India agreed to sell hydroxychloroquine tablets to Malaysia for use in the treatment of coronavirus patients.
This comes after India partially lifted the ban on exports of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. A Malaysian minister told Reuters that on April 14 India has given permission for Malaysia to import 89,100 tablets. “We will try to get more hydroxychloroquine tablets from India, which is also subject to stock availability,” he added.
Last month India had put a hold on exports of hydroxychloroquine to secure supplies for itself, before agreeing this month to supply it to some of its neighbours as well as to countries who have been badly affected by the pandemic.
India’s to sell hydroxychloroquine tablets to Malaysia signals a turnaround in relations between the countries. The relations between the two countries had soured because of repeated criticism of some Indian policies by Mahathir Mohamad.
On Wednesday, India provided half a million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the Government of Mauritius, as per their request. Mauritius is one of the first countries to receive supplies of this medicine after a special exemption was granted for a few countries. India also gifted the first consignment of four tonnes of essential lifesaving medicines to Seychelles, in view of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
