Oncologist Ravi Kannan, a recipient of India’s fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri and the director of Assam’s Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC), has been named one of the four winners of the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel prize. He is the only recipient of an award from this edition, which is a tribute to his outstanding achievements in healthcare both within and outside of the country.
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Ravi Kannan: The Hero For Holistic Healthcare
Dr. Kannan, who is primarily from Chennai, relocated to Silchar with his wife Seeta in 2007 to take over the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society. that, he had a distinguished career as a surgeon at Chennai’s Adyar Cancer Institute, where he received the coveted Padma Shri award for his major contributions to the healthcare industry.
Dr. Kannan established clinics in several locations, including Assam’s Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Dima Hasao, because of his strong conviction in improving the availability of medical care at the grassroots level.
Indumati, Kannan’s mother, claimed to have known that her son would eventually receive such acclaim. “My husband and I always wanted to make our son a doctor so that he could help the common people,” she said. He has always been a modest youngster who is committed to his job. He is not overly thrilled about the attention, but he is optimistic that he will be able to assist more people. We are a modest South Indian vegetarian family residing in one of the nation’s most picturesque regions.
An Exemplary Achievement
Kannan said that receiving the prize was an accomplishment for his institution and that he would only accept it in that capacity. “Everyone is working together as a cohesive unit while contributing equally to the success of this endeavour. In addition to the employees, the supporters from outside are also winners as well, according to Kannan, a native of Chennai.
In order to take over the CCHRC, Kannan and his wife Seeta relocated to Silchar in 2007. Previously employed as a surgeon at Chennai’s Adyar Cancer Institute, he received the Padma Shri for his services to medicine.
In order to facilitate patient follow-ups, clinics have been established in Assam’s Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Dima Hasao by Kannan, who thinks that medical services should be accessible in every community. He said the CCHRC follow-up ratio, CCHRC follow-up ratio, which was formerly less than 50%, is now greater than 90%. In 2012, Kannan oversaw the first microvascular surgery performed on someone suffering from cancer there. It was also the first treatment of its kind to be completed in the Northeast.
The state minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, complimented Kannan on receiving the honour in a post on X (previously Twitter) and noted that the physician “played a significant part in transforming cancer care in Assam, particularly in rural parts of the state.”
Better Lifestyle For Better Life
Kannan emphasised that cancer may be cured just like any other illness. “I wouldn’t like to see any individual die of cancer with no respect for themselves.” He stated that individuals in Assam and other northeastern regions are more likely to develop cancer because of their habits. It is a common misconception that there is anything amiss with air or water. In the Northeast, there is a high prevalence of alcohol, betel nut, and cigarette use. Exercise and a healthy diet are lacking. Even today, few people are conscious of how serious cancer is. Once it is discovered, they are powerless, thus some individuals try to conceal it. We have been fighting this mentality for more than ten years.
The national and state governments help them with healthcare initiatives like Atal Amrit Abhiyan, according to Kannan, the son of a distinguished Indian Air Force officer, who also claimed that the underprivileged were readily receiving superior medical attention. We are a place operated by the community, yet the government never refuses to help us.
