Srinagar, Oct. 7 -- The recent directive from the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare advising against the prescription or dispensing of cough and cold medicines to children below two years of age is a long overdue step towards rational and safe pediatric care in the country. Chairing a meeting on this issue, the Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, emphasized the urgent need to adopt rational medication practices for children. His intervention comes at a time when the misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines has become an entrenched, yet largely overlooked, public health concern. We are witnessing how cough and cold syrups are routinely administered to infants and toddlers at the slightest sign of re...