I learnt today was that a well-respected colleague, Dr Kwang Yoke Pin, passed away recently. At first I thought there was a typo in the message sent to me. A quick bit of Googling, however, led me to find another blog post from a former colleague which mentioned her passing away. Her medical class also wrote [numerous farewell notes](http://medicalclass87.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html) for her, on their group blog. Even if you don’t know her, the number of posts and what’s written in them will easily attest to how well-loved she was.
Her passing has saddened me greatly. I interacted with Dr Kwang Yoke Pin a few times while we were on the same task force and it was a positive, enjoyable experience. I learnt more about her from what others said about her, which were all good things. She was very passionate about her work and was always cheerful.
I did not know her well enough to say much more, but I’m sure her department and her patients have many fond memories of her. I am sorry that she has gone. My deepest condolences to her husband, son and daughter.
How ironic it is to be reminded that even as we work in public health, we are not invincible ourselves. This post goes out to all the unsung heroes who have served the nation for many years.
Rest in peace, Dr Kwang Yoke Pin. You will be remembered.