Pharma exports body seeks Indian Ambassador in China s intervention on Sichuan Airline issue

Hyderabad, April 29 (PTI): Pharmexcil, a pharmaceuticals exports body under the Ministry of Commerce, on Thursday sought the intervention of Indian Ambassador in China Vikram Misri, into the cargo supply disruption caused by the suspension of the eastern countrys state-run Sichuan Airlines.

Director General of Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), Udaya Bhaskar, in a letter written to Misri stated that the cargo flights' suspension is likely to disrupt frantic efforts by Indian pharma industry to import medical supplies including oxygen concentrators.

Sichuan Airlines recently suspended all its cargo flights to India for 15 days, causing major disruption to private traders' efforts to procure the much-needed oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies from China despite Beijing offering ''support and assistance'' to deal with the latest surge of COVID-19 cases.

''We therefore, would like to request His Excellency to intervene and to take necessary measures to restore the supply chain of medical needs of our country including KSMs (key starting materials)/APIs etc either by restoring the cargo services of Sichuan Airlines or by way of arranging Indian air cargo to lift the medical supplies at the interest of the people during these difficult times,'' Udaya Bhaskar requested the Indian envoy.

He said India sources almost 60 to 70 per cent of its requirements of drug intermediates, KSMs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from China and most importantly 45 to 50 per cent of all APIs imported figure in the National List of Essential Medicines.