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This medicine is the first batch in the over 30 million pills that India has promised to supply UAE.

India has sent 5.5 million hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets, a drug found to be efficient in fighting Covid-19, to the UAE.

This medicine is the first batch in the over 30 million pills that India has promised to supply UAE.

"We highly appreciate the cooperation of the Indian government in facilitating the procedures for obtaining the necessary approvals," the UAE embassy in New Delhi tweeted on Saturday, April 18.

Earlier, the Indian ambassador in the UAE Pawan Kapoor had told Khaleej Times that India is fast-tracking procedures to supply over 30 million HCQ tablets to the UAE after receiving a ’note verbale’ from the government.

"There was a request from the government of the UAE and we have agreed to fast track it."

The envoy said there is a huge demand for HCQ from many countries and India is considering it on a case to case basis. "As the drug is on the restricted list, we are obviously giving exception to the UAE, given the friendly relations between the two countries."

Global demand for hydroxychloroquine manufactured by India boosted after some studies indicated that the drug, when paired with azithromycin, helped clear patients of the virus at a much faster rate than seen usually.

Meanwhile, reports in India media suggested the decision to quickly send the drugs to Abu Dhabi and Dubai was taken after UAE sent a request for 3.25 crore HCQ 200 mg tablets and 10 metric tonnes of active pharmaceutical ingredients.