Dilip Mahalanabis, an ORS pioneer, will receive a posthumous Padma Vibhushan

The WHO estimates that the oral rehydration theory has prevented approximately 60 million deaths.

In a recent development, the award was given on Wednesday, posthumously, to the man who invented the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) for diarrheal disorders. Dilip Mahalanabis, a pediatrician by training, won the admiration of the medical community for developing the treatment as an emergency-related substitute for intravenous rehydration.

On Wednesday, Mahalanabis was one of the six recipients of the Padma Vibhushan award. Three of the six people on the list, including him, would be given it posthumously.

On October 16 of last year, the ORS pioneer passed away suddenly at a hospital in Kolkata from a number of age-related illnesses and some lung issues.

The WHO estimates that the oral rehydration theory has prevented approximately 60 million deaths.

His creation, which was made during the Bangladesh Liberation War and saved many lives, was cited by some doctors. Some medical professionals think that the acknowledgement given to him is tardy and should have been given much earlier.

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Mahalanabis made the ORS solution by combining water, salt, and sugar. According to reports, he developed it while treating patients in refugee camps, where many had cholera and diarrhea and the war was still raging in Bangladesh. In the struggle against the two terminal diseases, this treatment has performed like a miracle.

Describe ORS.
Dehydration can be treated with oral rehydration therapy. It is a therapeutically created electrolyte, sugar, and water solution (mostly sodium and potassium). Its purpose is to replace the fluids the body has lost. It is effective for mild dehydration.

ORS has been used by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to treat diarrhea-related dehydration. Studies have revealed that the therapy has a high success rate. Since 2007, it has stopped 54 million deaths. It should only be used, though, if a doctor recommends it, as several medical conditions, such as diabetes and kidney disease, may not be compatible with its use.