A much-loved Rabat doctor with a long list of patients dating back three decades has passed away aged 52. 

Tania van Avendonk died after battling pancreatic cancer for more than two and a half years, prompting an outpouring of grief and condolences on Facebook. 

"You are gone, but your words will be kept in my professional journey all the way," wrote one friend. 

INTERVIEW: 'Patients are not numbers'

She leaves behind a husband of 29 years and two children in their twenties. 

In an interview with Pink magazine published last year, Dr van Avendonk revealed how she had ignored symptoms for several years before finally getting tested and discovered she had a form of inoperable cancer. 

"Please don’t do like me; check symptoms as early as possible," she had said. "Listen to your bodies. Nobody is a super being.”

Read the full Pink magazine interview with Tania van Avendonk.