India sends 1 lakh paracetamol, 5 lakh Hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan

India has sent 1,00,000 paracetamol and 5,00,000 anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan, a senior Afghan diplomat said on Friday. The Afghan chargé d'affaires to India, Tahir Qadiry, said the medical supplies have been ferried through the air in addition to the first consignment of wheat that India shipped earlier to bolster Afghanistan's food security. He thanked India for sending such essential supplies amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, the United Kingdom thanked India for its approval for sending Paracetamol units which will be reaching them in the next two weeks. Soon after India approved the shipment of nearly three million paracetamol units for the UK, the British government praised the Indian government for helping them at a crucial time.

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India send wheat to Afghanistan

Earlier, India shipped the first consignment of 5,022 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat — approximately 251 containers — to Afghanistan and plans to ship more in the days to follow. The move comes to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and ensure food security during the pandemic. The shipment reached Chabahar Port on 15 April carrying a portion of the total 75,000 MT supplement of wheat and is now on the way to Afghanistan.

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Export restrictions eased

Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said that India will licence paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine in appropriate quantities to all neighbouring countries who are dependent on India's capabilities. The statement added that India will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. HCQ is being touted by some as a potential drug to cure COVID-19.

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