What is Oral Rehydration Therapy and what are its uses? How did Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis contribute to this life saving technique?

On October 16, India lost a pioneering public health physician, Dr Dilip Mahalanis, Who is often called as the ORS pioneer and helped save millions of lives. The ORS has been termed as the most important medical advance in this century by the world’s leading general medical journal the Lancet editorial.

What is ORS:

• It is a combination of water, glucose and salts.
• The therapy includes drinking water with modest amounts of sugar and salt, specifically sodium and potassium to correct fluid losses from diarrhoea.
• It is a simple and cost-effective method for preventing dehydration.
• It is an alternative to intravenous rehydration therapy.
• According to the WHO, oral rehydration therapy has saved over 60 million lives.
• It replenishes blood with essential electrolytes that are lost due to intense exercise, exposure to extreme weather conditions or diarrhoea and other illnesses.

Conclusion:

Dr Dilip Mahalanabis pioneered a simple and effective solution for diarrhoea, which saved millions of lives and is considered one of the greatest contribution of Indians in medical science. It is also termed as the second most important advances in the field of medical science since penicillin. The Young scientist of the country should step in to carry forward the legacy of this great scientist.