Dr. Salvacion Rodriguez-Gatchalian, Pediatrician

Dr. Salvacion Rodriguez-Gatchalian, a pillar of the Philippines’ Pediatric Infectious Disease medicine and a champion of children’s health had fallen in the battle against the deadly coronavirus, on March 26.

Gatchalian was the president of the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) that leads training of physicians on child health. She also served as the assistant director at the Research of Institute of Tropical Medicine that houses the country’s lone testing center for Covid-19.

She too had been a fellow of Pediatric Infectious Disease for more than three decades.

Gatchalian’s Facebook account was flooded with expressions of grief as her colleagues mourned the passing of a mentor to young researchers and doctors.

A post remembered Gatchalian as a “great mentor and friend to many young doctors and scientists in [University of the Philippines and RITM].”

Dr. Kristy Murray, a professor of paediatrics and director at Center for Human Immunobiology at Texas Children’s Hospital, remembered her as “a champion for children’s health.”

“She helped create the Philippines Coalition against TB and fought infectious diseases, saving so many lives,” Murray also wrote on Twitter.

According to her 2018 profile at the PPS, Gatchalian is affiliated with the World Society of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Asian Society of Pediatrics Infectious Disease and International Society for Tropical Pediatrics.

Gatchalian was also a member of the Board of Trustees of Tropical Disease Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1984 “that seeks to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases with public significance through research, training and the provision of timely and relevant service.”

PhilStar Global