Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar on Saturday dismissed reports that recent child deaths in the state were caused by contaminated cough syrup. Speaking at a press conference in Jaipur, he said the children who died were suffering from other illnesses and did not die after consuming government-supplied medicines.

"No child has died from cough syrup. One had meningitis (brain fever), another had a respiratory infection. The medicine has been tested and found to be appropriate," Khinvsar said.

He acknowledged that if medicines intended for adults are administered to small children, they can be harmful.

This came against the backdrop of reports of 11 child deaths, nine in Madhya Pradesh and two in Rajasthan, allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrups.

"This appears t

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