Angela Merkel says EU 'allowed India' pharma to become too big as bloc fears jab shortage


Angela Merkel has said India has become “too big” of a pharmaceutical producer as major concerns rise in the bloc that they will not receive enough medicines as jabs are redirected in India to cope with rising infections. Speaking at a meeting of the European Commission on Wednesday Merkel took aim at India as it is engulfed in a massive second wave of covid. Despite India having exported an estimated 66 million doses to 94 countries as of April 22 through the Serum Institute of India according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Merkel said she “expect it to honour its promises” in delivering to the bloc. She also branded the EU has not “treated” it’s pharmaceutical industry “so well” over the years. 

The German Chancellor said: “Since we have a situation in India because of the dramatic pandemic situation over there, we are concerned whether they can export pharmaceutical products to us.”

Merkel went on to explain that Europe is now in a risky position with its vaccine production which relies heavily on India, one of the worlds largest vaccine producers, who have now been forced to divert vaccines to tackle their own rising infections.

She added: “India has become a major pharmaceutical producer.

“The truth is, we haven’t treated our pharmaceutical industry so well for many years…I am glad that we still have pharmaceutical production in Belgium, Holland, Germany.”

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India exported an estimated $229 million worth of pharmaceutical products to Germany alone in 2019 and is a major hub of vaccines used by Germany.

Merkel added: “From the European side, in the expectation that this should then also be complied with.

“We expect it to honour its promises.

“And if it can’t, we will have to rethink.”

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Speaking earlier this week to the BBC Newsnight on Thursday, Dr Bhavna Pandya Chair of the Medical Committee at the Hindu Forum Britain said: “When I visited India not long ago, I asked my family members and friends ‘Why have you not taken your vaccine jab?’, they said there is no Covid.”

Dr Pandya also highlighted issues posed by deliberate disinformation campaigns in preventing health officials to fight the new wave.

She said: “Similarly there are so many wrong videos and information going around which is a major aspect.”

Reports suggest a number of hospitals lack oxygen supplies for treating Covid patients with at least two hospitals in the capital Delhi said they were running out of oxygen, while a number of people are said to have died while waiting for new supplies to arrive.



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