Sri Lankan government has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending essential medicines to fight COVID 19.

Sri Lankan foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena said his government express its highest appreciation and gratitude to PM Modi and Indian government for sending medicines and associated items through a special flight.

The minister said India- Sri Lanka relations are very close and strong and expressed happiness that their request has been fulfilled in such a manner.

A flight carrying 10 tonnes of essential medicines had reached Colombo on Tuesday as first consignment.

Sri Lanka is on list of the first 13 countries sanctioned to receive hydroxychloroquine from India. Government has sanctioned one million tablets for Sri Lanka in the second consignment.

Maldives will also receive two lakh tablets and its foreign minister Abdull Shahid thanked Indian government saying a friend in need is truly a friend indeed.

Sri Lanka has got 138 active cases of COVID so far as the country is under curfew for over three weeks to fight the crisis.

Altogether 54 people have recovered out of total 199 infections while seven people have died so far.