Renowned oncologist Dr Ravi Kannan, director of Assam's Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC), was declared as one of the awardees of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2023, on Thursday, August 31, for his contribution towards providing cancer care to patients from the North Eastern states of India.
Ravi has been announced as the distinguished recipient of the 'Hero For Holistic Healthcare' award on the 65th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. This year, the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award, which is Asia’s premier and highest honour, was announced to three more individuals for their contribution to the well-being of society.
Ravi, who hails from Chennai in Tamil Nadu, worked at Chennai’s Adyar Cancer Institute before he moved to Silchar with his family in 2007 to lead the CCHRC. CCHRC was founded in 1996 by a non-profit organisation that offers comprehensive, specialised, and affordable cancer care to the people of the North Eastern States. As per reports, it was Ravi's leadership that transformed the cancer care facility centre into a multifaceted institution with twenty-eight departments covering critical areas such as oncology, pathology, radiology, and palliative care. As of now, the number of staff at the hospital is 451, which was 23 when he had joined CCHRC.
The Ramon Magsaysay website recognised Ravi Kannan’s contribution and noted that “the RMAF board of trustees recognizes his devotion to his profession’s highest ideals of public service, his combination of skill, commitment, and compassion in pushing the boundaries of people-centered, pro-poor health care and cancer care, and for having built, without expectation of reward, a beacon of hope for millions in the Indian state of Assam, thus setting a shining example for all”.
The other winners of the 65th edition of the Ramon Magsaysay Award are Eugenio Lemos (Food Sovereignty Visionary) from Timor-Leste, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is the distinguished recipient of the Women In Peace-Building Pioneer. She is from the Philippines, and one more awardee, Korvi Rakshand of Bangladesh is a recipient of the 'Education For All Champion' title.