Letter to BS: Exporting hydroxychloroquine does not seem like a good idea

Although India is helping the SAARC nations with supplies, exporting the medicine to 30 other nations does not seem like a good idea

Brazilian President Jair M Bolsonaro referred to Ramayana on Hanuman Jayanti while asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help in battling the shortage of medical supplies in Brazil due to the onslaught of Covid-19. The Brazilian president was quoted as saying, “Like Lord Hanuman brought the holy medicine from the Himalayas to save the life of Lord Ram’s brother Lakshman... India and Brazil will overcome this global crisis by joining forces...”

This request from the Brazilian President is, however, not unexpected, as it is commensurate with the global role India is playing amid the coronavirus crisis. India has emerged like a messiah as the world fights Covid-19, with more than 30 countries requesting PM Modi to export hydroxychloroquine to fight the virus. Although India is helping the SAARC nations with supplies, exporting the medicine touted to be the "game changer" against the coronavirus to 30 other nations does not seem like a good idea, especially with numbers increasing manifold in our own country.

Gaurav Agarwal  Guwahati

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