Who Is R. Ravi Kannan? Know About Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Who Is Providing Cancer Treatment For Poor

Surgical oncologist R. Ravi Kannan, Director of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) in Assam on Thursday was presented the the state's first Ramon Magsaysay award. He said the award belongs to all the people who have joined hands to make the lives of those suffering from cancer better.

Kannan was announced as the distinguished recipient of the 'Hero For Holistic Healthcare' award on the 65th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.

Kannan is the son of an Indian Air Force personnel. He hails from Chennai. He graduated with a MBBS degree from the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai. Kannan also holds a master of surgery degree in surgical oncology from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.

Kannan led the surgical oncology department at the Adyar Cancer Institute. In 2006, he first visited the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) at a colleague's invitation for a consultation. During this visit, he was introduced to the then-director of CCHRC who proposed that he take charge of the centre.

Taking this new opportunity, Kannan relocated from Chennai to Assam with his family in 2007. Here, he dedicated himself to improving healthcare in the Barak Valley via the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Silchar.

According to CCHRC's website, CCHRC is a comprehensive cancer care facility located in the outskirts of Silchar town in the Barak Valley of Assam, India. The hospital is administered by The Cachar Cancer Hospital Society, a not for profit NGO. Nearly 80% of their patients are daily wage workers, agricultural and tea garden labourers and nearly 75% are treated for free or at subsidised charges.

According to news agency PTI, Kannan said,''The award is not about myself but about many people including 450 colleagues of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, whose contribution is immense, and the not-for-profit society that set it up."

"The award belongs to many people, the hospital and the community who have joined hands to make lives better for those suffering from cancer and I am just one of the many faces involved in this effort."

Apart from Ramon Magsaysay Award, 2023, Dr Kannan has been a recipient of Padma Shri, the 4th highest civilian award of India. The award was given to him in 2020. He has also been honoured with Mahaveer award in medicine in 2013.