|
Back in 1971, amid the chaos of Bangladesh’s fight for independence, refugee camps overflowed with families fleeing violence. Cholera swept through like a storm, dehydrating and killing thousands of children in hours. That’s when Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis, a pediatrician from Kolkata, made history. Working in those muddy camps, he whipped up a basic mix of salt, sugar, and water – drawing on 1960s research by scientists like Dr. Robert Phillips – to fight the deadly fluid loss. No needles, no hospitals needed. Just this oral rehydration solution (ORS) could revive a child on the spot. The World Health Organization locked in the formula in 1975, and today, it’s credited with saving over 50 million lives globally.
|
