Pam Zinkin obituary

"My mother, Pamela Zinkin, who has died aged 94, was a consultant paediatrician credited with saving the lives of children all over the world. She was also a lifelong campaigner for the NHS. In 1977, by then a single parent with two young sons, Pam moved to newly independent Mozambique to work as a senior paediatrician, then head of paediatrics, at Maputo central hospital."

"The country's healthcare was in a precarious state, with 80% of its doctors having left after independence in 1975. Within five years, Pam and her team had reduced mortality among the 8,000 annual child admissions from 25% to 4%. Pam's expertise in child development, disability and war was later sought by the WHO, Unicef, British Council and Save the Children Fund, and she travelled all over the world to help set up and evaluate projects."

"Born in London, Pam was the daughter of Mary (nee McMeekin), a typist, and Peter Zinkin, a fur cutter who later became a journalist. Following her parents' divorce, Pam was raised by her mother and stepfather, George Ives, a postman. At the outbreak of the second world war she was evacuated to Garnant, a mining village in south Wales. Back in London, Pam went to Addey and Stanhope school in New Cross, before being admitted to Leeds University medical school in 1951."

Pamela Zinkin died aged 94. She was a consultant paediatrician credited with saving children's lives globally and a lifelong NHS campaigner. In 1977, as a single parent with two young sons, she moved to newly independent Mozambique to work as senior paediatrician and later head of paediatrics at Maputo Central Hospital, where within five years she and her team reduced mortality among 8,000 annual child admissions from 25% to 4%. Her expertise in child development, disability and war was sought by WHO, Unicef, British Council and Save the Children. She held consultant and academic posts at major London hospitals and served as trustee or adviser to multiple charities.

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