Maldives is among the 13 countries that India has approved the export of hydroxychloroquine, a drug described as a ‘game changer’ in coronavirus treatment.

While India has approved the export of 14 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to 25 countries, the first list of 13 countries was cleared on Friday. While Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh will receive the tablets from the neighborhood, India will provide the medicine to United States, Spain, Germany, Dominican Republic, Brazil and Bahrain as well.

Noting that the demand for hydroxychloroquine is “high” globally, an official from India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that “domestic requirements and domestic stock availability” were taken into account when making the decision.

Maldives’ Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid thanked the India government “for approving request for hydroxychloroquine” via Twitter, adding that “a friend in need is truly a friend indeed”.

While hydroxychloroquine is a prescription drug approved to treat or prevent malaria, India has termed it as “a game changer” in Covid-19 treatment. Dr. Ali Latheef, a member of the Maldivian government’s Covid-19 taskforce, said that the treatment will be used here as well, in certain situations.

The Indian government recently facilitated the transport of 6.2 tonnes of essential medicine procured through the State Trading Organization (STO).

The country previously donated three months’ worth of medicine to the Maldives, and had also sent a medical expert team to assist the country’s healthcare workers in the fight against Covid-19.

A total of 19 people has tested positive for Covid-19 in the Maldives since March 7. While 13 have since recovered, the remaining actives cases in the country are of four locals that returned from the United Kingdom. Two of the 19 patients are being treated abroad, as their test results came back positive after the departed the Maldives.