After sending anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine believed to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19, to the needy counties like Brazil and Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said that India is ready to do whatever is possible to help its friends in the fight against the novel Coronavirus.

He said that India’s partnership with Brazil was “stronger than ever in these challenging times” while responding to a comment by Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro thanking “the people of India” for allowing export of raw materials for anti-malarial drug.

PM Modi took to Twitter and replied to Bolsonaro,”Thank you President Jair Bolsonaro. The India-Brazil partnership is stronger than ever in these challenging times. India is committed to contribut(ing) to humanity’s fight against this pandemic.”

Thank you President @jairbolsonaro. The India-Brazil partnership is stronger than ever in these challenging times.

India is committed to contribute to humanity’s fight against this pandemic. https://t.co/uIKmvXPUo7

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 10, 2020

Hydroxiychloroquine has been cited by many as a viable therapeutic solution to fight the coronavirus infection. President Bolsonaro  thanked him for allowing shipment of raw material needed to produce Hydroxychloroquine.

Amid increasing requests received by New Delhi from different nations for the supply of Hydroxychloroquine, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had invoked the Hindu epic, Ramayana, to appeal to the Indian leader to allow the export of the anti-malarial drug, which can be used to treat coronavirus patients.

On Saturday, Bolsonaro had spoken to Modi on phone and sought the supply of the drug. His letter yesterday followed the phone call.

The reference to Ramayana was made against the backdrop of the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the world, including Brazil. India had banned the export of the drug on 26 March but after US President Donald Trump’s appeal, it allowed supplies on Tuesday.

“Just as Lord Hanuman brought the holy medicine from the Himalayas to save the life of Lord Rama’s brother Laksmana, and Jesus healed those who were sick and restored sight to Bartimeu, India and Brazil will overcome this global crisis by joining forces and sharing blessings for the sake of all people,” The Brazilian leader said in his letter.

In a tweet to Israeli PM Netanyahu, PM Modi said, “We have to jointly fight this pandemic. India is ready to do whatever is possible to help our friends.”

“Praying for the well-being and good health of the people of Israel,” he said.

We have to jointly fight this pandemic.

India is ready to do whatever is possible to help our friends.

Praying for the well-being and good health of the people of Israel. @netanyahu https://t.co/jChdGbMnfH

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 10, 2020

Netanyahu took to Twitter and posted, “Thank you, my dear friend Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for sending Chloroquine to Israel. All the citizens of Israel thank you.”

Ever since the deadly virus spread across nations, Hydroxychloroquine has become one of the most highly demanded drugs worldwide. India, the world’s main supplier of generic drugs, has been finding it difficult to cope with the requests for Hydroxycholoquine received from nearly 30 nations.

Hydroxychloroquine tablet is used to prevent and treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, among other ailments.

Hydroxychloroquine has been approved by the national task force of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as a prophylaxis – a treatment to prevent a disease – for people at “high risk” of contracting COVID-19. However, it is recommended only for a healthcare worker who is treating a COVID-19 patient. Secondly, it is recommended only for persons staying and caring for a household positive patient. They can take that only for ‘prophylaxis’, or prevention.

On April 9, US President Donald Trump had said that extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends as he profusely thanked PM Modi and the people of India for allowing the export of pre-ordered Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to help his country fight the Coronavirus pandemic. He had said India’s humanitarian act “won’t be forgotten”.

Hours before India made its decision official to lift ban on export of essential drugs, President Donald Trump in an apparent warning had said that “there may be retaliation” if India does not agree to export HCQ.

New Delhi has said it would consider exports depending on domestic requirements as well as India’s ties with the countries seeking the drug.