Indian authorities are ready to lift the ban on the export to Russia of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which is used for the treatment of patients infected with a new coronavirus. This was announced by the Ambassador of the Republic in Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma, reports TASS.
As the diplomat emphasized, India is ready to provide any support that Russia needs.
“As for the hydroxychloroquine that is produced in India, of course, we have our own needs for this medicine, but India stated that this is a humanitarian issue and we will support our close friends,” he said.
As the Ambassador noted, Russia has an interest in it, and the Indian Government guaranteed that it will do everything possible in the current conditions “in the spirit of friendship between our countries”.
“The Russian side has addressed us with a corresponding request, we expect a positive response,” he added.
Earlier, the Parlamentskaya Gazeta reported that on April 9 the Ministry of Health issued the fifth edition of eligibility guidelines on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus, which included the most relevant methods for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, as well as medical personnel protection technology.
According to these recommendations, it is possible use of hydroxychloroquine, mefloquine, chloroquine, tocilizumab, azithromycin, lopinavir plus ritonavir, calcium nadroparin, recombinant interferon alpha, and recombinant interferon beta-1b for the treatment of adult patients with coronavirus infection. In addition, clinical trials of remdesivir, umifenovir, favipiravir are being conducted. The Ministry of Health described the group of antimalarial drugs as promising for the treatment of a disease caused by coronavirus.
Earlier, India banned the supply of paracetamol, hydroxychloroquine and other medications abroad amid disease outbreak. On April 7, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Mr. Anurag Srivastava announced that India would supply a number of drugs used to treat coronavirus-induced diseases to countries that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
