‘We will win this together’: PM Modi responds to Trump’s thank you note on hydroxychloroquine

india

Updated: Apr 09, 2020 10:40 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday acknowledged the thank you note of US President Donald Trump, saying that India will do everything possible to help humanity’s fight against coronavirus disease Covid-19.

Fully agree with you President @realDonaldTrump. Times like these bring friends closer. The India-US partnership is stronger than ever.



India shall do everything possible to help humanity's fight against COVID-19.



We shall win this together. https://t.co/0U2xsZNexE — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2020

“Fully agree with you President @realDonaldTrump. Times like these bring friends closer. The India-US partnership is stronger than ever. India shall do everything possible to help humanity’s fight against COVID-19. We shall win this together,” PM Modi said on Twitter, tagging Trump’s tweet.

Trump had on Wednesday showered praises on PM Modi and the Indian people on Twitter, in response to Indian government’s decision to ease restrictions on export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine that he has said would be a game-changer in the battle against Covid-19 pandemic.

“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 @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!” the US President had said in his tweet.

Trump, during a phone call on Saturday, had asked PM Modi to lift the hold on American order of the anti-malarial drug, of which India is the major producer. India lifted the hold on Tuesday.

By Wednesday night, more than 14,600 Americans had lost their lives due to coronavirus and over 4.3 lakh have tested positive for the dreaded disease. Scientists and the medical fraternity are racing against time to find a vaccine and a therapeutic solution to it.

India is the world’s largest manufacturer of hydroxychloroquine, producing nearly 70 per cent of the world’s supply. The demand for the drug, which is also used by patients of rheumatoid arthritis, was boosted after a small placebo-controlled clinical trial in China demonstrated that the anti-malarial drug shortened the duration and reduced the severity of cough, fever and pneumonia in patients with mild and moderate disease.

India banned the export of hydroxychloroquine and any formulation containing it on March 25. Last week the ban was expanded to cover exports from special economic zones, blocking pending orders, including from the US.