Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has set up a three-member expert committee to submit an urgent report on the use of cough syrups for children, following concerns over safety. The panel includes the State Drugs Controller, Child Health Nodal Officer, and State IAP President, Health Minister Veena George said.
Based on the committee’s report, Kerala will issue specific guidelines on prescribing cough syrups for children. The minister also directed that no cough syrup should be administered to children under 12 years without a valid doctor’s prescription, and that expired or old prescriptions must not be reused.
The move follows the deaths of over 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups. Kerala had earlier banned certain Kondrif cough syrup brands as a precautionary measure.
