The Kerala Health Department, under Minister Veena George, ordered that no medicines should be given to children under 12 without a doctor's prescription. The decision was taken amid reports of deaths among children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to contaminated cough syrups.

According to news agency PTI , George said medicines should not be dispensed even using an old prescription.

A three-member expert panel was reportedly set up to study the use of cough medicine and formulate new guidelines.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the panel includes the state drugs controller, child health nodal officer and state unit president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics. “Its findings will help formulate new guidelines on cough syrup use in children,” the minister said. Also Rea

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