New Delhi [India], April 11 (ANI): India has cleared the first list of 13 countries for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) which includes USA, Spain, Germany, Bahrain, Brazil, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Bangladesh, the sources said.

They said USA had asked for 48 lakh tablets of HCQ and India has sanctioned 35.82 lakh tablets, sources said.

Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial drug deemed to be useful in dealing with COVID-19.

The sources said that India has also sent nine MT of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) to the US in line with its request.

They said Brazil and Canada are expected to get 50 lakh tablets of hydroxychloroquine in the second consignment. In the first consignment, Brazil will receive 0.53 MT of API.

The sources said Bangladesh will get 20 lakh tablets of hydroxychloroquine, Nepal 10 lakh, Bhutan 2 lakh, Sri Lanka 10 lakh (not in the first consignment), Afghanistan 5 lakh, and Maldives 2 lakh.

They said Germany will also get 50 lakh tablets of HCQ in the second consignment and in the first consignment, it will receiving 1.5 MT API.

The other countries to receive hydroxychloroquine include Seychelles and Dominican Republic.

The sources said India will be sending a total of 14 million tablets and 13.5 MT API.

MEA officials said a lot of requests on Hydroxychloroquine were already there. According to Dammu Ravi, AS & Coordinator, several countries have made requests for this particular item and taking into view the domestic necessities and keeping a sufficient buffer for our own requirement, a decision was taken by a group of ministers to release some of the surplus medicine for export purposes.

“It is first come, first basis, but the neighbourhood is very important, countries very vulnerable. So we went through the process of making the assessment, who would need first...it is an ongoing process. Doing it in a balanced and rationalizing demand of various countries.”

According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as per projections, “India will need 1 crore Hydroxychloroquine tables where as the country currently has 3.28 crore tablets.”

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing the export of HCQ. In a tweet he had also thanked India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ, saying it will not be forgotten.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also thanked India for sending chloroquine. (ANI)