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Singapore's 'Father of Pathology' dies at age 97

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Professor Kanagaratnam Shanmugaratnam, Singapore's "Father of Pathology" who died on Saturday at the age of 97, was dedicated to his profession and the pursuit of excellence.

Prof Shanmugaratnam, who held the position of emeritus consultant at the National University Hospital and was emeritus professor of pathology at the National University of Singapore (NUS), officially retired only at 94. Even then, he continued to teach.

He was described by Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, the chief health scientist and executive director at the Ministry of Health's Office for Healthcare Transformation, as "the pathologist to send the difficult cases which no one else could diagnose to".

Prof Tan added: "Yet he was a very humble man. He had a brilliant mind but he was always kind and gentle with everyone - senior doctors, medical students, junior technicians - a true gentleman."

Prof Shanmugaratnam was also known for establishing the Singapore Cancer Registry in 1967, to provide data on cancer trends in the country.

It was the first comprehensive, population-based cancer registry in South-east Asia. He served as its director from 1968 to 2002.

Prof Shanmugaratnam, the father of Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, earned a PhD in pathology from the University of London and served as the head of many international bodies over the years.

NUS president Tan Eng Chye, in a statement yesterday, paid tribute to Prof Shanmugaratnam, calling him a much respected and revered luminary in the community and an inspiration to all who knew him.

Prof Shanmugaratnam leaves behind his wife, three children and four grandchildren.

Death