Who is Dilip Mahalanabis, Padma Vibushan awardee and the pioneer of life-saving ORS?

The Central government, on January 25, announced that Dilip Mahalanabis will be posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award. 

Mahalanabis is remembered as the creator of the Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), a simple treatment which shot him to fame during a humanitarian crisis five decades ago. The pioneer's name was announced for the award along with 25 other personalities who will be bestowed with Padma Shri by the President of India Droupadi Murmu. 

#PadmaAwards2023 | ORS pioneer Dilip Mahalanabis to receive Padma Vibhushan (posthumous) in the field of Medicine (Pediatrics).

25 other personalities across various walks of life to receive Padma Shri. pic.twitter.com/nIFthqsogE

— ANI (@ANI)

Who was Dilip Mahalanabis?

Dilip Mahalanabis is accredited with the creation of the ORS which is estimated to have saved over five crore lives globally. A graduate of Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Mahalanabis was trained in London and started in paediatrics at London's Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children. His journey to fame began with the 1966 research on Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) at the John Hopkins University International Centre for Medical Research and Training in Kolkata, where the ORS was eventually developed. 

Mahalanabis tested the efficacy of the ORS during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War while he was serving in a refugee camp at Bangaon in West Bengal after returning from the US. Thanks to the simple, inexpensive yet effective treatment, lakhs of patients were saved from the cholera outbreak. Notably, his creation has caused a 93% reduction in deaths caused by diarrhoea, cholera and dehydration, especially in infants and children. 

Born on November 12, 1934, Mahalanabis passed away at the age of 87 at a private hospital in Kolkata on October 17, 2022, after he was admitted for lung problems and other health issues. He was awarded with the Pollin Prize by the University of Columbia in 2002 and won the Prince Mahidol Award by the Thailand government for his contribution to medical science in 2006. The Padma awards, which are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day, are normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the government could consider giving an award after the individual's death.