Hyderabad doctor quits Instagram after long battle over ORS-like beverage branding: ‘Tired of fighting alone'
Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who caught the attention of social media for her campaign against beverages that she believes could be mistaken for Oral
Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who caught the attention of social media for her campaign against beverages that she believes could be mistaken for Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), has announced that she is stepping away from Instagram after years of advocacy on the issue. Dr Santosh told The Indian Express that said she felt exhausted by the prolonged battle and disappointed by the response of professional bodies to the concerns she had raised. “I am tired of fighting alone. I was hurt by the way the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) treated me, and more importantly, the way they treated the concerns raised by me,” Dr Santosh told the publication. Her decision comes after she resigned from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, the country's leading body of paediatricians. According to Dr Santosh, she felt the organisation did not adequately address her concerns regarding a beverage brand setting up kiosks at its annual conference. The brand had previously used the term ORS in its name. The Campaign That Brought Attention Dr Santosh came into the spotlight following an eight-year campaign focused on products that she said could be confused with Oral Rehydration Solution, a medically recognised formulation used to treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea.
ORS is considered a life-saving intervention because its composition is carefully designed to replace fluids and electrolytes lost during illness. According to medical experts, changes to the formulation can alter the balance of salts and sugars, potentially affecting how fluids are absorbed by the body. Over the years, Dr Santosh repeatedly raised concerns about fruit-based, non-carbonated beverages that, in her view, could be mistaken for ORS despite having different formulations. Resignation From IAP And Criticism Of Leadership After the IAP accepted her resignation, Dr Santosh publicly criticised the organisation's leadership. “Finally, my resignation from the IAP has been accepted, thankfully! So far, I had to show some restraint before calling the leadership out for their pathetic slavery to pharma! Now, I am under no obligation to show that restraint!” Her criticism stems from what she described as insufficient support from the organisation in her campaign regarding products that use branding similar to ORS. Concerns Over Kenvue's Rebranded Product A major focus of Dr Santosh's campaign has been Kenvue, formerly the consumer health division of Johnson & Johnson. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had prohibited the use of the term "ORS" for electrolyte drinks that do not follow the World Health Organization's recommended formulation.
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