The stock position could allow our companies to meet the export commitments that they had contracted, the MEA said.
Amid controversy over US President Donald Trump's warning of "retaliation" if India doesn't supply Hydroxychloroquine tablets, the Ministry of External Affairs said demand position would be continuously monitored but the stock position could allow Indian companies to meet the export commitments that they had contracted.
Trump on Monday said he would be surprised if India did not allow the export of Hydroxychloroquine tablets to the United States and there may be retaliation if the supply is not allowed.
Last week, Trump said that he had sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the sale of Hydroxychloroquine tablets, a decades-old malaria drug, as scientists explore its use in the treatment of COVID-19.
India had banned the export of the anti-malarial drug and partially lifted the restriction on Monday.
On Sunday, Trump said he made a request to release Hydroxycholoroquine for the US in a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi. At his daily news conference at the White House, Trump said, "I called Prime Minister Modi of India this morning. They make large amounts of Hydroxychloroquine. India is giving it serious consideration."
The MEA said some attempts were made by sections of the media to create unnecessary controversy over the issue of COVID19 related drugs and pharmaceuticals.
Responding to media queries on the export if Hydroxychloroquine, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "Like any responsible government, our first obligation is to ensure that there are adequate stocks of medicines for the requirement of our own people. In order to ensure this, some temporary steps were taken to restrict exports of a number of pharmaceutical products."
"In the meanwhile, a comprehensive assessment was made of possible requirements under different scenarios. After having confirmed the availability of medicines for all possible contingencies currently envisaged, these restrictions have been largely lifted. The DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) has notified lifting restrictions on 14 drugs yesterday," he said.
Paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) do not figure in the list of drugs on which restrictions have been lifted. On this, the ministry said they will be kept in a licensed category and their demand position would be continuously monitored.
However, the stock position could allow our companies to meet the export commitments that they had contracted, the spokesperson said.
"Given the enormity of the COVID19 pandemic, India has always maintained that the international community must display strong solidarity and cooperation. This approach also guided our evacuation of nationals of other countries," Srivastava said.
"In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities. We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic," he said.
We would therefore discourage any speculation in this regard or any attempts to politicise the matter, the spokesperson said.
The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has crossed 13 lakh with more than 74,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The death toll in the US has now crossed 10,000, now standing at 10,923 with over 3.6 lakh (368,079) confirmed COVID-19 patients.
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