Union Health Ministry has advised that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children below two years.

In an advisory, the Ministry said, these are generally not recommended for children below five years, and above that, any use should follow careful clinical evaluation with close supervision.

The Ministry has written a letter to the Director of Health Services of all States and Union Territories in this regard. The advisory has been issued in view of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan that were linked to the consumption of cough syrups.

Union Health Ministry has said that the multidisciplinary team is continuing its analysis of samples and other factors to ascertain the cause of deaths reported in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan government has suspended Drug Controller Rajaram Sharma and halted the distribution of all 19 medicines supplied by Kayson Pharma.

The action was taken after two children died and several fell ill allegedly due to the consumption of cough syrups distributed under the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme.

According to Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited, 10 thousand 119 samples of Kayson Pharma’s medicines have been tested since 2012, with 42 found to be substandard. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has ordered a detailed investigation into the issue.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of Coldrif syrup following the death of nine children due to suspected kidney infection in Chhindwara district. In a social media post, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said, the deaths of children in Chhindwara due to Coldrif syrup are extremely tragic.

The syrup was manufactured at a factory in Kanchipuram. Following the incident, the state government requested that the Tamil Nadu government conduct an inquiry.