We have 3.28 crore Hydroxy-chloroquine tablets to face emergency situation: Lav Aggrawal

"We have 1 crore Hydroxy-chloroquine tables for next week in possession. Additionally, we have 3.28 crore tables for this month to face any emergency situation," said, joint secretary in the Health Ministry, Lav Aggrawal.

New Delhi: India has an adequate buffer stock of hydroxychloroquine tablets to face any situation following the COVID 19 outbreak, said Lav Aggrawal, joint secretary in the Health Ministry on Friday.

"We have 1 crore Hydroxy-chloroquine tables for next week in possession. Additionally, we have 3.28 crore tables for this month to face any emergency situation," said Aggrawal refuting reports that India has a shortage of Hydroxy-chloroquine tablets.

India has also exported a major quantity of Hydroxy-chloroquine tables to a few counties including India's neighbouring countries and those who have been severely affected by the Covid19 pandemic.

"We have also kept in reserve 2 crore tablets for private utilisation," said Aggrawal.

Hydroxy-chloroquine is an anti-malaria drug and this is prescribed for frontline health workers in India fighting COVID-19. Till Friday, India registered 6761 positive COVID-19 cases with 6039 still active. 206 people have died and 515 people have also been cured of this infectious disease.

"We have conducted 16002 laboratory tests for COVID-19 on Thursday and 320 (2 per cent) have been found COVID positive," said Aggrawal.

He said that 678 new positive cases have been detected on Thursday whereas 33 people have also died in one single day. Aggrawal further said that a good number of PPEs, N95 masks, ventilators would shortly come to India from abroad.

"Government has also exempted imports of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 test kits, ventilators, face mask and surgical mask from basic customs duty and health cess," said Aggrawal.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan earlier in the day has asked States Health Ministers to ensure implementation of total lockdown.

Quoting reports, Dr Vardhan told state ministers that reports of laxity in the implementation of lockdown protocol have come from several places. He was interacting with State Health Ministers through video conferencing, officials said.

During the interaction, Dr Vardhan said that some states are not updating the number of COVID cases. Dr Vardhan also highlighted on the dedicated COVID hospitals in states as well as contact tracing, officials added.