Rafiqul Islam
রফিকুল ইসলাম
Bornc. 1936
Malipara, Comilla District, Bengal Presidency (present-day Bangladesh)
Died5 March 2018(2018-03-05) (aged 81–82)
NationalityBangladeshi
Alma materDhaka Medical College
Occupation(s)Physician and medical scientist
Known forOral saline inventor

Rafiqul Islam (c. 1936 – 5 March 2018) was a Bangladeshi physician and medical scientist. He is known for the discovery of food saline (Orsaline) for the treatment of diarrhea.[1]

Early life and education

Rafiqul Islam was born in 1936, in the village of Malipara in the Comilla District of the Bengal Presidency. He passed MBBS from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital in 1965. Later, he received high education in Trinity Medicine and Hygiene in Trinity (UK).[2]

Career

After passing MBBS, Rafiqul Islam joined the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh and retired from this institution in 2000. While working in this organization, he researched various medicines. One of his most important inventions is the food saline (Orsaline). When cholera spread in the refugee camps of West Bengal in India during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, only therapeutic (intravenous) fluid was given to the vein as treatment. But due to the lack of intravenous fluid, it was possible to recover from the disease with its saline disinfected.[3] After the independence of Bangladesh, a widespread publicity campaign was conducted on the use of saline in the treatment of diarrhea. As a result, it was also known as "Dhaka Saline". In the year 1980, the World Health Organization recognized Orsaline. Besides, Bangladeshi non-government organization BRAC played the role of spreading food saline to the remote areas of Bangladesh.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Oral saline inventor no more". The Daily Star. 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  2. ↑ খাবার স্যালাইনের আবিষ্কারক ডা. রফিকুল ইসলাম আর নেই. Manab Zamin (in Bengali). Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  3. ↑ খাবার স্যালাইনের আবিষ্কারক ডা. রফিকুল ইসলামের ইন্তেকাল. Jugantor (in Bengali). Retrieved 2018-03-06.
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