India approves Malaysia’s request for supplying hydroxychloroquine drug to deal with COVID-19 crisis

New Delhi: India has given go-ahead to Malaysia's request for supplying hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a drug that is being called as a “game-changer’’ to deal with COVID-19 crisis. Kuala Lumpur had requested hydroxychloroquine from India to deal with COVID even as New Delhi got the request from several countries for the drug.

New Delhi has gifted 5 million HCQ tablets to countries in the neighbourhood and the IOR, Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, Eurasia and WANA regions. 

It is also providing 1.32 million Paracetamol (PCM) tablets to its neighbouring and other partner countries. Total Value of the medicines and other supplies to be gifted by India stands at INR 383 million (about USD 5 million).

In addition to this, India has given clearance to commercial consignments of around 285 million HCQ tablets to 40 countries. Commercial consignments of around 500 million PCM tablets for 60 countries have also been cleared.  

Ties between India and Malaysia are headed towards a positive trajectory under the new leadership. Earlier this month, Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mridul Kumar, met Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein regarding cooperation on COVID-19. That was the second meet between both of them in the last one month.

The India High Commissioner was the first envoy received by the Malaysian foreign minister on March 18, and on the same day, HC Kumar also called on the new Malaysian PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin.

India had allowed eighteen special Malaysian flights for the evacuation of Malaysian nationals since it had imposed a ban on international flights on March 20. This is the biggest number of flights New Delhi allowed for any foreign country. 

The flights brought back 2,833 Malaysian nationals, which is again the maximum number of citizens repatriated till now for any foreign country.