Renowned oncologist Dr V Shanta died in Chennai early on Tuesday morning, reported PTI. She was 93.

Dr Shanta complained of chest pain late on Monday night and was taken to Apollo hospital, reported The Hindu. Doctors said she had a massive block in her heart that they could not remove. She died around 3.55 am.

Dr V Shanta was known for her work on cancer care. She was the chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, which she joined in 1954. The institute is known for providing state-of-the-art healthcare to all patients.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said Dr Shanta would be cremated with police honours. The chief minister added said that this was a way to honour her selfless service, reported The Hindu.

Born in 1927, Dr Shanta completed her MBBS from the Madras Medical College in 1949. She went on to specialise in gynaecology and obstetrics. Later in the 1960s, she took training in advanced cancer care in Toronto and the UK. Shantha has won several awards including the Padma Shri in 1986, the Magsaysay Award in 2005, the Padma Bhushan in 2006 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016.

Tributes and condolence messages started pouring in as soon as the news of her death was reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the news and that Dr Shanta will be remembered for her “outstanding efforts” to provide quality cancer care. “The Cancer Institute at Adyar, Chennai, is at the forefront of serving the poor and downtrodden,” he added in his tweet. “I recall my visit to the Institute in 2018. Saddened by Dr V Shanta’s demise. Om Shanti.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called Dr Shanta a saint. “Forever in service of the poor and needy, she lived in a room within the hospital premises, with the singular mission of cancer cure,” Sitharaman tweeted. “A saint, no longer among us.”