Jakarta, Oct 15 (IANS) Reaffirming its commitment to regional cooperation, India on Wednesday acted as a first responder by delivering Prussian Blue (Radiogardase) capsules to Jakarta to help contain the effects of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in the Southeast Asian nation.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), a consignment containing essential medicines to help mitigate radiation exposure following a recent incident has been handed over to Indonesia.

Responding to a request from Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, the Embassy of India in Jakarta, in coordination with the MEA, swiftly mobilised the urgently required capsules.

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty handed over the medicines to representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

“The gift of Prussian Blue Capsules will support Indonesia’s mitigation efforts for potential nuclear or radiological emergencies, specifically contamination involving Cesium-137,” the Indian Embassy in Jakarta posted on X.

Meanwhile, the Indian delegation led by Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda) and Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Ayush, along with Raman Mohan Singh, Director at the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) are on a four-day visit to Jakarta to attend the 16th Annual Meeting of World Health Organisation – International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO–IRCH) being held from October 14 to 16.

The delegation had a productive meeting with the Indian Ambassador on their arrival, discussing avenues to strengthen collaboration in traditional medicine, in the spirit of the recently signed MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance between the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and PCIM&H, Ministry of Ayush.

A meeting between the delegation and the Indonesian FDA (BPOM) was also facilitated by the Indian Embassy in Jakarta. The discussions focused on the furtherance of activities under this MoU, including capacity building, exchange of technical expertise, and harmonisation of quality assurance practices for traditional medicines.

The 16th Annual Meeting of the WHO–IRCH in Jakarta brings together global regulatory authorities and experts to strengthen international cooperation and harmonisation in the regulation of herbal medicines.

The delegation played a key role in the technical sessions held on the second day of the event.

Raghu Arackal presented the Workshop Report on ‘Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines (Working Group-3)’, highlighting India’s evolving regulatory framework and evidence-based policy initiatives in traditional medicine.

India’s participation reaffirms its ongoing commitment to strengthening international cooperation and advancing global benchmarks in the field of herbal medicine regulation.

–IANS

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