Beat Richner - Kantha Bopha

Kantha Bopha

The five children's hospitals built by Richner and the Kantha Bopha Foundation are located in Cambodia's major cities. All of the hospitals provide treatment free of charge. Kantha Bopha I and II can be found in Phnom Penh and Jayavarman VII in Siem Reap. Kantha Bopha IV was opened in Phnom Penh in December 2005 and is connected to Kantha Bopha I. The 5th hospital, the most recent construction, opened in December 2007 (also in Phnom Penh).

Kantha Bopha II was inaugurated on October 12, 1996. The hospital was constructed because of an apparent need caused by overcrowding in Kantha Bopha I. Land was donated by King Norodom Sihanouk. Jayavarman VII, constructed in 1998, similarly was constructed on land donated by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The commissioning of this hospital came from the initiative of Cham Prasidh, the minister of commerce. The hospital is located near Angkor Wat and has health education facilities as well inpatient and outpatient care. On Octoboer 9, 2001, a maternity ward for HIV infected mothers was added to Jayavarman VII and includes 350 hospital beds. In 2004, construction of Kantha Bopha IV began to offset structural and capacity issues of Kantha Bopha I. Built in connection to the first hospital, Kantha Bopha IV stands near the famous Wat Phnom in the capital city. Richner's funding and donation campaign for this hospital raised 15 million USD. The campaign "Aktion Zwaenzger Noetli 2004" was primarily done in Switzerland.

The Kantha Bopha hospitals treat half a million children per year free of charge. Approx 100,000 seriously ill children are admitted. Japanese encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever and typhoid are common, often exacerbated by the presence of TB. TB is the number one killer. Mortality rate is an astonishingly low 1%. Dr. Richner claims that over 80% of all paediatric health care in Cambodia is provided by his hospitals.

The hospitals are primarily funded by donations from individuals in Switzerland, where Richner is somewhat of an icon. Operational expense in 2006 was in the order of $17mill USD. Since the Foundation started in 1991, it has reportedly raised $370 million USD.

In addition to medical care, the hospitals also provides an International Postgraduate Course. The Kantha Bopha Academy for Pediatrics, started in 2009, has recently completed its third year. The program includes lectures and courses on general pediatrics, infectiology, immunology and diagnostic imaging. The course program also includes a thorough introduction into the organization and management of a children’s hospital and a maternity in a poor and tropical country.