Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis (1934 – 2022)

Abstract

Dr Dilip Mahalanabis, a famous clinician scientist, passed away in the city of Kolkata on 16th October 2022. He was born in Kishoreganj of the British province of Bengal, India (now in Bangladesh) on 12th November, 1934. His life partner was Prof. Jayanti Mahalanabis who deceased on 9th July, 2021.

In 1958 he received his degree in medicine and surgery (MBBS) from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Afterwards, he perused his training in Pediatric Medicine at Medical College, Calcutta, Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, London and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA from 1959 to 1965. In 1961 he obtained postgraduate diploma in child health (DCH) from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, London, UK. In 1962, he obtained MRCP from the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, UK. Subsequently he was elected as a Fellow of that College (FRCP).

In 1966, on his return to India, he joined Johns Hopkins University International Center for Medical Research and Training (ICMRT) in Calcutta as a research investigator and started his work on early development of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) and its application in children with cholera at Infectious Disease and Beleghata General Hospital, Calcutta (ID & BG hospital) and also in the field situations. Concurrently he held a teaching position as visiting pediatrician at the Institute of Child Health (ICH), Park Circus, Calcutta. In 1973, he joined Kothari Center of Gastroenterology, Calcutta as a Consultant Pediatrician. During that period he conducted research on the composition, safety, and efficacy of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) in infants and children which included studies in animal models. His studies on the role of intestinal parasites on malabsorption of vitamin A were carried out during this period (1973-1983).