How a Hyderabad doctor’s fight against ‘fake ORS’ turned into a movement

Synopsis: Doctors are worried about sugary drinks being marketed instead of ORS. It could turn fatal, and doctors want the FSSAI to take a strong stand, even as the Delhi High Court has asked the authority to hear the company before making a final decision.

The battle began when a young mother walked into Dr Sivaranjani Santosh’s clinic in Hyderabad in 2017. The mother had brought her child, visibly tired and weak, to the paediatrician.

The child had been suffering from an upset stomach. Dr Sivaranjani realised — to the mother’s surprise — that the child was dehydrated. The mother had been providing rehydration solution, popularly known as ORS, to the child. Still, the child’s condition worsened.

It was then that the mother and doctor realised that the child had been provided with a su