Professor Cynthia Ruth Goh, died of pancreatic cancer on February 13, 2022, at the age of 72 – but not before having a big say on how to spend her remaining days once she knew the end was near. She was born on November 21, 1949, in Hong Kong to a family of doctors. She attended medical school St Bartholomew’s Hospital, University of London, where she met her future husband, Dr Goh, in 1969.
She was a giant in the fields of Palliative Care and Pain Medicine. Though Professor Cynthia Goh is better known for her pioneering work in establishing Palliative Care Medicine in Singapore, she was equally instrumental in bringing Pain Medicine to the forefront in Singapore and the region. She served as a president of The Pain Association of Singapore (PAS), and remained dedicated to the promotion of the society. Her stirring leadership as the Founding President of ASEAPS (Association of South-East Asian Pain Societies) paved the way of mutual cooperation among the societies of the region to accelerate the education and research related to the Pain Management.
Dr Goh was a Senior Consultant in the Division of Palliative Medicine at the National Cancer Centre Singapore and Associate Professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. She was an accredited specialist in Internal Medicine and Palliative Medicine and had a PhD in Molecular Biology. She provided the spark and catalyst for the then fledgling pain services in the region, helping and advising, often going above and beyond. She touched many lives in her tireless journey as a doctor, teacher and friend. She will be dearly missed by all.
Our heartfelt condolences to her family on this immense loss.