Dilip Mahalanabis, saved numerous live duing 1971 War, gets Padma Vibhushan. Who is he?

The Government of India, on Wednesday announced the names of 105 recipients of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished services of highest order.

Among the nominees, 87-year-old Dilip Mahalanabis, hailed as the ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) pioneer, will get the Padma Vibhushan (posthumous) – India’s second highest civilian award.

According to government data, an 88-year-old doctor from West Bengal pioneered the wide use of ORS which is estimated to have saved over 5 crore lives globally.

The doctor, who breathed his last in 2022, started his research in ORS – the use of water, salt and sugar for treating dehydration in diarrhoea patients – for Johns Hopkins University International Centre for Medical Research and Training.

Instrumental work during Bangladesh Liberation War

Dr. Mahalanabis used ORS on a large scale for the first time while treating millions of Bangladeshi refugees in camps near Bangaon in West Bengal in the 1970s. According to Bangla Tribune newspaper, Mahalanabis cured numerous people suffering from cholera with ORS.

However, he never took out a patent for his invention of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) which saved countless lives.

Global Recognition:

Several international organisations like the World Health Organisation have recognised his work which spanned over the years.