Benjamin Netanyahu thanks PM Modi for chloroquine supply to Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, April 9, for his decision to approve the supply of chloroquine to Israel. This comes after US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took to their official handle on Twitter to thank PM Modi for lifting the ban on the export of the anti-malaria drug that is proving to be effective in treating of COVID-19 infection.

Netanyahu, in a tweet said “Thank you, my dear friend, @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India, for sending Chloroquine to Israel. All the citizens of Israel thank you!”.

Read: France Reports First Decrease In Coronavirus Intensive Care Patients

An Israel health ministry official reportedly informed the state broadcasters, that India has made an exception and permitted the export of the drug to Israel. The official added that another request regarding the export of N95 face masks was yet to be confirmed. India, the world’s premier supplier of generic drugs, has been kind enough despite the latest restrictions on the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients, the official was quoted saying. 

Earlier, US President Donald Trump had thanked PM Modi for relieving the restrictions on the supply of pre-ordered hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to the US. Trump had praised PM Modi's leadership, saying that he was not only helping India but the entire humanity in the fight against coronavirus. 

Read: Coronavirus Shutdown Presents Challenges For Teams, Sponsors

'Emergency use authorization'

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an 'emergency use authorization' for the drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. As per reports, the Trump administration had said that it was planning to distribute a million-dose quantity of the anti-malarial drug to hospitals across the US.  

Although there hasn’t been any scientific evidence over the benefit of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in relieving acute respiratory symptoms caused by the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the test results of usage on patients have sparked hopes. The US health authorities have said in a statement that the anecdotal reports suggest that these antidotes may offer benefits in the treatment of coronavirus patients on lines of FDA’s approved indications. 

Read: UK Records 881 Coronavirus Deaths

Read: A Funeral Director Fights For New York’s Coronavirus Dead