Dr Kannan moved to Silchar, Assam, from Chennai to treat poor cancer patients 17 years ago. He has since made a drastic difference to cancer care in the state.
Published Sep 01, 2023 | 3:02 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 01, 2023 | 3:03 PM
The Ramon Magsaysay Award —often referred to as the "Asian Nobel Prize” — is an annual award established to honour individuals and organisations in Asia. (Supplied)
“It surprised many that Kannan, who previously headed the surgical oncology department at Adyar Cancer Institute, a major cancer institute in Chennai, would exchange a position in a big city for a small hospital in a remote part of the country. Kannan had a simple answer. It was where he was most needed.”
This excerpt is from the citation of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation for Dr Ravi Kannan R, a doctor from Chennai who moved to Silchar, Assam, 17 years ago, to treat poor cancer patients.
He has been awarded this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award — often referred to as the “Asian Nobel Prize”— is an annual award established to honour individuals and organisations in Asia who have made remarkable contributions to society through their selfless and transformative work.
It recognises achievements in various fields, including government service, public service, community leadership, journalism, literature, and creative arts, among others.
Dr Kannan said that the prestigious award is not about him but for all those who have contributed to cancer care in the community.
”The award is not about myself but about many people, including 450 colleagues of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, whose contributions are immense and the not-for-profit society that set it up,” Dr Kannan told reporters after being announced as the recipient of the “Hero For Holistic Healthcare” award on the 65th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
“The award belongs to many people, the hospital, and the community who have joined hands to make life better for those suffering from cancer, and I am just one of the many faces involved in this effort,” he said.
Born on 5 August 1964, Dr Kannan’s educational journey began at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Tambaram. He pursued his MBBS at Government Kilpauk Medical College, followed by an MS from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi. He later did an MCh in Surgical Oncology at Cancer Institute, Chennai.
Dr Kannan during a telemedicine session. (Supplied)
Before joining CCHRC, he led the surgical oncology department at the same institute, which is a prominent cancer treatment center in Chennai.
Under Dr Kannan’s leadership, CCHRC became a full-fledged comprehensive cancer hospital and research centre.
From a hospital with limited facilities when he came on board, it now has 28 departments covering Oncology, Pathology, Radiology, Microbiology, Epidemiology, Tumour Registry, Palliative Care, and other services and specialisations.
From a staff of only 23, the hospital now employs 451 people.
Healthcare is a realm that intersects the broad social spectrum while retaining its deeply personal touch, particularly when it comes to tackling a costly and high-mortality disease like cancer. The emotional and financial toll that cancer takes on patients and their families, especially those who are economically disadvantaged, cannot be overstated.
This challenge is even more pronounced in regions like India’s North-Eastern states, a remote and often “forgotten” border area, characterised by its predominantly rural and agricultural nature.
Access to medical care in such areas is inherently arduous. Even in Assam, a prominent state within this region, where cancer incidence is high among a population of 35 million, the first cancer hospital did not materialise until 1981.
Subsequently, a second institution, the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, emerged in 1996. This endeavour was propelled by the dedication of a non-profit society composed of local citizens, generously supported by public philanthropy and provided land by the government.
The trajectory of CCHRC, however, transformed significantly with Dr Kannan taking over as its director in 2007.
In December 2006, Dr Kannan, a surgical oncologist at the Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai, received a call from Dr Chinmoy Choudhury, who was then the director of CCHRC. The call was for a consultation. Dr Choudhury now serves as the chairperson of its governing body.
During their conversation, Dr Choudhury posed a significant question — whether Dr Kannan would consider permanently shifting to Silchar to provide cancer care to those living there.
Dr Kannan at CCHRC. (Supplied)
Intrigued by the proposition, Dr Kannan and his wife, Seethalakshmi, visited Silchar for a weekend to explore the potential opportunity.
Several months later, in 2007, Dr Kannan made the decision to relocate to Silchar. He assumed the role of hospital director, becoming the first formally-trained oncologist to hold this position at CCHRC.
The decision to shift from a bustling urban environment to a small hospital in a remote corner of the country puzzled some observers. Yet, Dr Kannan’s response was succinct: It was precisely where his expertise was most indispensable.
Kannan ensured from the beginning that it was not just a matter of having state-of-the-art cancer facilities. Patient compliance rate to treatment was at 28 percent.
Patients came but did not continue their treatment due to various reasons, such as difficulty of travelling long distances, the cost (including the loss of income of family caregivers), and resignation to the belief that the patient would never be cured. Clearly, the underlying reason was poverty.
Thus, the hospital introduced such pro-poor initiatives like free treatment, food and lodging, ad hoc employment for caregivers, and a homecare programme. Hospital team members would travel long distances to train family members in pain management and palliative care, as well as provide free medicines. As a result, patient compliance rates rose to 70 percent.
CCHRC now provides free or subsidised cancer care treatments to an average of 5,000 new patients annually, catering to approximately 20,000 poor patients for treatments and follow-ups. Dr Kannan believes that no one should be denied access to treatment due to want of money.
The hospital states its vision in these words: “We aim to become a state-of-the-art cancer centre that will ensure that no individual develops a cancer that can be prevented, that no patient is denied appropriate cancer treatment for want of resources, that no patient dies in agony and indignity, and that no family suffers treatment induced poverty and grief.” It is a clear, bold statement that the hospital translates into actual practice.
Assam and other parts of the North-East are more prone to cancer due to the lifestyle of people as they consume a lot of tobacco, betel nuts, and alcohol, and they do not exercise much or follow proper diet, Dr Kannan explained during the media interaction.
Dr Kannan, now aged 59, has served the hospital for nearly 17 years. He is particularly proud of the people around him who share his vision for the hospital, many of them young professionals attracted and inspired by his leadership.
Dr Kannan during cancer screening in Assam. (Supplied)
He said that they are now focusing on ”decentralising cancer care by setting up smaller hospitals in different parts of the state, and even in Tripura, so that people do not have to travel far to reach a hospital for treatment”.
He said that satellite clinics have been started in Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Dima Hasao districts.
”We have to go to the people and focus on prevention, treatment, and cancer care. We need a lot of support for infrastructure and equipment, which are one-time investments, but what we need most is human resources, which is a recurring requirement,” the oncologist said.
Dr Kannan said he wants to tell each and every patient that cancer is curable like any other disease. “I don’t want to see a single person dying without dignity because he or she has cancer,” he said.
Self-sacrificing and quietly heroic, Dr Kannan lives with his family in Assam and, in this remote region, he continues to work without expectation of public recognition.
Reiterating his mission, he said, “To be able to deliver inclusive healthcare and inclusive cancer care, you must have care available. You must have care that is equitable, accessible, and affordable.”
“In electing Ravi Kannan to receive the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award, the board of trustees recognises his devotion to his profession’s highest ideals of public service, his combination of skill, commitment, and compassion in pushing the boundaries of people-centred, pro-poor healthcare 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,” said the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
Dr Kannan was awarded the Padma Shri — the fourth highest civilian award in the country — in 2020.
