GUWAHATI: Acclaimed oncologist and Director of Cachar Cancer Hospital Society, Silchar, Padma Shri Dr R Ravi Kannan, has been honoured with the esteemed 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award for his outstanding contributions to holistic healthcare.
The sole awardee from India in this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, Dr Kannan humbly stated that it’s an acknowledgment for his hospital and stressed that he would accept it solely as the head of the institution. He underlined the collective effort of the team working diligently to propel the project’s success, including those contributing from outside the organisation.
Dr Kannan, originally from Chennai, moved to Silchar in 2007, along with his wife Seeta, to take charge of the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society. Prior to this, he had an illustrious career as a surgeon at Chennai’s Adyar Cancer Institute, earning the prestigious Padma Shri award for his significant contributions to the healthcare sector.
With a firm belief in the accessibility of healthcare services at the grassroots level, Dr Kannan initiated clinics in various locales such as Assam’s Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Dima Hasao. Under his leadership, Cachar Cancer Hospital Society has achieved an impressive follow-up ratio of over 90%, a considerable leap from its earlier rate that hovered below 50%. Notably, Dr Kannan supervised the first microvascular surgery for a cancer patient in 2012, marking a pioneering achievement not just for the hospital but also for the entire Northeastern region.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place later this year. Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual accolade that honours individuals exemplifying former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay’s ideals of ethical governance, dedicated service to the people, and practical idealism within a democratic framework. Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Asia,” the award is administered by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, in association with the Philippine government.
