Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre

Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC)
Cachar Cancer Hospital Society
Geography
LocationSilchar, Cachar District, Assam, Northeast India, Barak Valley, India
Organisation
TypeNon-profit cancer-care organisation
Services
Beds141
History
Founded1996
Links
Websitecacharcancerhospital.org
ListsHospitals in India

Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) is a non-profit oncology hospital and research institute located in Meherpur, near Silchar, in the Cachar district of Assam, India.[1][2] The institution was established in 1996 by the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society, a public charitable society formed in 1992.[3] It provides cancer diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and palliative care, with a focus on patients from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Northeast India.[4]

Background

In the early 1990s, rising cancer cases in southern Assam highlighted the absence of a regional oncology facility.[5] At that time, patients were often required to travel to Guwahati or other distant cities for treatment.[6] To address this gap, the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society was established in 1992.[7] In 1996, the Government of Assam allocated land in Meherpur for the construction of a cancer hospital, and the foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia.[8]

The hospital initially began as a 20-bed facility offering limited diagnostic and treatment services. In 2007, Dr. Ravi Kannan, a surgical oncologist from Chennai, was appointed director.[9] The hospital had 450 employees and 146 inpatient beds by 2024.[10][11][12]

Facilities

CCHRC provides surgical oncology, medical oncology, paediatric oncology, and radiation oncology services. It is equipped with diagnostic imaging, pathology and microbiology laboratories, and a molecular oncology unit.[13] The hospital also has a blood bank, dental surgery unit for oral cancer, and a pharmacy that provides free or subsidised medicines, partly through the National Cancer Grid.[14][15]

In 2024, the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, inaugurated a positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) scanner at the hospital, the first such facility in the Barak Valley region.[16][17][18]

Research and training

The hospital participates in multi-centre cancer research projects and conducts training programmes for healthcare workers.[19] It also develops cost-effective treatment approaches intended to address resource constraints in rural healthcare settings.[20][21][22]

Catchment area

The hospital primarily serves the Barak Valley region and adjoining states, covering a population of approximately 10 million people.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ Yadavar, Swagata (2024-05-02). "In a remote corner of India, a cancer centre is showing what can be achieved with technology and compassion". Cancerworld Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  2. ^ "Ravi Kannan R." Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  3. ^ RAMANI, HEMA IYER (2020-02-05). "Dr. Ravi Kannan: Facilitating equitable and accessible healthcare". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  4. ^ "Where you are born shouldn't dictate whether you live, or die of cancer: Dr Ravi Kannan". The Times of India. 2023-09-10. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  5. ^ Harris, Caleb; Das, Gaurav; Mukherjee, Poulome (December 2022). "Development of Cancer Care in Northeast India". Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology. 13 (Suppl 1): 61–66. doi:10.1007/s13193-022-01557-z. ISSN 0975-7651. PMC 9859971. PMID 36691507.
  6. ^ "CHRC Invites Tenders for the Vertical Extension of Existing Opd Building". The Sentinel - of this Land, for its People. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  7. ^ You Don't Need to be Powerful to Bring a Change | Dr. Ravi Kannan | TEDxAssam University. 2025-08-05. Retrieved 2025-09-16 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "The Cachar Cancer Hospital Society". causes.benevity.org. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  9. ^ Seenivasagam, Rajkumar Kottayasamy; Dhar, Puneet (January 2022). "The Cancer Care Messiah of Northeast India". Journal of Medical Evidence. 3 (1): 111–114. doi:10.4103/JME.JME_35_22. ISSN 2667-0720.
  10. ^ Yadavar, Swagata (2024-05-02). "In a remote corner of India, a cancer centre is showing what can be achieved with technology and compassion". Cancerworld Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  11. ^ Nischal, P.M. (2024-08-03). "Surgical Oncologist R. Ravi Kannan wins Ramon Magsaysay Award 2023". The National Medical Journal of India. 37 (1): 57–60.
  12. ^ "Ravi Kannan R." Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  13. ^ "Oncologist R. Ravi Kannan of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre wins 2023 Ramon Magsaysay award". The Hindu. 2023-08-31. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  14. ^ Indiablooms (2017-05-22). "Over 100 cancer centers come together for the 7th National Cancer Grid meet". India Blooms. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  15. ^ Jaiswal, Umanand (1 September 2023). "Oncologist Ravi Kannan R to be honoured with Ramon Magsaysay Award for pro-poor cancer care". The Telegraph Online.
  16. ^ "Himanta Biswa Sarma initiates comprehensive development projects in Cachar district". India Today NE (in Hindi). 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  17. ^ Harris, Caleb; Das, Gaurav; Mukherjee, Poulome (December 2022). "Development of Cancer Care in Northeast India". Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology. 13 (Suppl 1): 61–66. doi:10.1007/s13193-022-01557-z. ISSN 0975-7651. PMC 9859971. PMID 36691507.
  18. ^ admin (2017-01-11). "Health Minister grants 10 Cr to Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre". Arunachal24. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  19. ^ Harris, Caleb; Das, Gaurav; Mukherjee, Poulome (2022-12-01). "Development of Cancer Care in Northeast India". Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology. 13 (1): 61–66. doi:10.1007/s13193-022-01557-z. ISSN 0976-6952. PMC 9859971. PMID 36691507.
  20. ^ Talagadadeevi, Bharath V. S. S. K.; Kannan, Ravi; Veeraiah, Surendran; Seshachalam, Arun; Anand, Tanu; Vijayakanth, S.; Malik, Kapil (2025). "Optimising Initial Pain Management and its Influence on Compliance and Treatment Abandonment in Newly Diagnosed Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients: A Real-world Experience". Indian Journal of Palliative Care. 31 (1): 15–20. doi:10.25259/IJPC_153_2024. ISSN 0973-1075. PMC 11866678. PMID 40027976.
  21. ^ "Litika Vermani brings laurels to Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre". The Sentinel - of this Land, for its People. 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  22. ^ Kulkarni, Bhavana; Mahaseth, Laxman Kumar; Anand, Tanu; Seshachalam, Arun; Veeraiah, Surendran; Tapkire, Ritesh; Kannan, Ravi (July 2025). "Charting Postoperative Trajectories in Patients With Cancer: Perspectives From a Resource-Constrained Setting in Northeast India". JCO Global Oncology. 11 (11) e2400528. doi:10.1200/GO-24-00528. PMID 40737579.
  23. ^ "Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Silchar Assam India". www.medicaltourinfo.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  24. ^ Harris, Caleb; Das, Gaurav; Mukherjee, Poulome (December 2022). "Development of Cancer Care in Northeast India". Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology. 13 (Suppl 1): 61–66. doi:10.1007/s13193-022-01557-z. ISSN 0975-7651. PMC 9859971. PMID 36691507.