A Life Dedicated to Saving Children
Dr Pamela Zinkin, a consultant paediatrician hailed for saving the lives of countless children across the globe and a lifelong advocate for the National Health Service, has passed away at the age of 94. Her remarkable career spanned continents and decades, leaving an indelible mark on global child health.
Revolutionising Healthcare in Mozambique
In a bold move in 1977, Zinkin, then a single parent with two young sons, relocated to newly independent Mozambique. She took on the role of senior paediatrician, later becoming head of paediatrics at Maputo Central Hospital. The nation's healthcare system was in a critical state following its 1975 independence, which had prompted an exodus of 80% of its doctors.
Undeterred, Zinkin led her team with determination. In just five years, they achieved a monumental feat: reducing the mortality rate among the hospital's 8,000 annual child admissions from 25% to just 4%. As a cooperante—an international expert aiding the new government—she reorganised medical and nursing teams and was instrumental in training a new generation of Mozambican doctors, many of whom now hold senior positions in the country.
A Legacy of Global Impact and Lifelong Advocacy
Zinkin's expertise in child development, disability, and war zones became internationally sought after. She collaborated with major organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef, the British Council, and Save the Children Fund, travelling worldwide to establish and evaluate critical projects. Her commitment extended to trusteeship and advisory roles for charities such as Medical Aid for Palestinians, Ideals, and Oxfam.
Born in London, her early life was shaped by the Second World War, during which she was evacuated to Garnant, a mining village in South Wales. She pursued medicine at Leeds University medical school, graduating in 1956. Her distinguished UK career included positions at Great Ormond Street, Queen Charlotte’s, and Guy’s hospitals. She also served as a senior lecturer in child health at the Institute of Child Health, University of London, with consultant status at Great Ormond Street.
A woman of profound principle, she was actively involved in the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid movements, and supported Mozambique's independence struggle. Even after returning to the UK in 1982, working at Whittington Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, she never truly retired. She developed courses in community-based rehabilitation and the care of children in war, while continuously lobbying for the NHS.
Pam Zinkin embraced life fully, maintaining friendships across generations, swimming at Hampstead Heath, and taking piano and Mandarin lessons into her nineties. She even danced with the Company of Elders at Sadler’s Wells.
She is survived by her two sons, Paul and Colin, and her granddaughter, Emma.
