Watch | Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis and the discovery of ORS
On sixteenth December 1971, East Pakistan was liberated, forming what we all know in the present day as Bangladesh. Following the battle, practically 10 million individuals took refuge in India.
But as the monsoon arrived, with heavy rains and floods, additionally got here cholera. With an absence of entry to meals, clear water and sanitation, the cholera epidemic killed over 5,000 individuals in the refugee camps alone.
In one such refugee camp at Bangaon in West Bengal, the scenario was turning essential. The camp was working out of saline fluid, a normal therapy for cholera in these days. The clock was ticking quick as a whole lot extra awaited therapy.
Dr Dilip Mahalnabis, a Kolkata-based paediatrician, stepped in. From his analysis, he knew {that a} answer of sugar and salt, which might improve water absorption by the physique, might save lives.
He turned to Oral Rehydration Therapy, an unpopular therapy for diarrhoea in these days. Against the odds, and with the assist of Johns Hopkins University, he started giving out a mix of desk salt, baking soda and glucose with clear consuming water. He and his crew then ready and saved the answer in giant drums, from the place sufferers or their kin might assist themselves.
In the subsequent 14 days, the quantity of deaths declined from 30 per cent to three.6 per cent in the refugee camps.
We take a look at Dr Mahalanabis’s contribution to the discipline of well being and his awards and recognition.
