LIMPOPO – The Limpopo Health Department has described Professor Nancy Shipalane’s death as a loss to the entire province. She will, among other, be remembered for her role as a pioneer in the establishment of a medical school in the province.
Shialane qualified as paediatrician in 1990 and worked in Letaba from 1992 to 1997. From 1998 until her death she served as the Head of Paediatrics and the Child Health Clinical department for the Pietersburg- Mankweng Academic Hospital Complex. She passed away on Sunday, 14 June after a short illness.
Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba said Prof Shipalane’s death is not just a loss for the department but a personal loss to her as well.
“Prof nurtured myself and many of my colleagues from our student days until we graduated as medical practitioners. She continued to be a consultant, training us as junior doctors until we followed our various careers paths within the profession and health sector.”
“Prof was a mother and a mentor to me throughout by journey as the MEC. Her advice saw us fighting many battles together and today we can proudly celebrate that in two years’ time, the first ever post 1994 Medical School established will see its group of students graduating as medical doctors. Prof Shapalane has produced so many paediatricians in our province, as a result there is no district in Limpopo which can claim not to have two or more paediatricians.”
A virtual memorial service will be held today (Wednesday, 17 June) from 14:00 to 16:00 from the Mankweng Academic & Tertiary Hospital. Connect via: Limpopo Department of Health Bophelong.
