Kantha Bopha Foundation founded by Dr. Beat Richner to support Kantha Bopha Children's Hospitals

The name Kantha Bopha is famous in Switzerland. Dr.Beat Richner, pediatrician, cello player, and astute fundraiser, has been working there tirelessly for more than 20 years on his life-long project in treating children. He had just worked at the Children's Hospital in Phnom Penh in the early 1990, then the terror of the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge's rule forced him to escape from Cambodia, and he just figured out to return in 1991. The Kantha Bopha foundation, founded by Dr. Beat Richner, runs five youngsters' hospitals with 2,500 staffs in Phnom Penh capital and Siem Reap province in Cambodia. It rightly carries his name because without Richner these hospitals would simply not exist.  

The five children's hospitals established by Dr. Beat Richner and the Kantha Bopha foundation are situated in Cambodia's major cities. All of the hospitals provide medical services free of charge for every child. Kantha Bopha I and II can be found in Phnom Penh capital and Jayavarman VII in Siem Reap province. Kantha Bopha IV was opened in Phnom Penh in December 2005 and is associated with Kantha Bopha I. The fifth hospital, the latest construction, opened in December 2007 (additionally in Phnom Penh capital).  

Kantha Bopha II was commenced on October 12, 1996. The hospital was built due to an evident need caused by congestion in Kantha Bopha I. Land was donated by former King Norodom Sihanouk. Jayavarman VII, established in 1998, correspondingly was built on land donated by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The hospital is situated close to Angkor Wat temple and has health education facilities as well inpatient and outpatient care. On October 09, 2001, a maternity ward for HIV infected mothers was added to Jayavarman VII and includes 350 hospital beds. In 2004, establishment of Kantha Bopha IV started to offset structural and capacity issues of Kantha Bopha I. Established in association with the first hospital, Kantha Bopha IV remains close to the well-known Wat Phnom in the Phnom Penh capital.  

The hospital has modern facilities equipped with MRI and CT scanners, yet it is nothing compared to the complexity, even luxury, you would discover in a Swiss children’s hospital. Only the laboratories and the operating theatres have air conditioning, unlike the fairly large patients’ wards. The impression is one of usefulness and down-to-earth medical care.  

According to website http://www.beat-richner.ch, in the five hospitals, Kantha Bopha I, II, IV and V in Phnom Penh and Jayavarman VII in Siem Reap Angkor, in 2016 155 338 severely children were hospitalized (12% more than 2015), 848 393 sick children receive treatment in the outpatients department (13% more than 2015), 128 177 children were vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, 24 348 chirurgical operations were carried out (13.5% more than 2015). 145 080 pregnancy control and there were 23,643 deliveries (8% more than 2015) in the maternity ward (designed to prevent mother-to-child AIDS and TB transmission). 412 heart operations were done. The Kantha Bopha hospitals cover 85% to 92.5% of the country's sick children. The mortality rate in pediatrics was 0.22%. 

The annual budget of the running expenses is now 43.5 million USD. Kantha Bopha's cost-healing ratio is the best worldwide according to international evaluations.  

The hospitals are primarily funded by donations from people and government in Switzerland, where Richner is to somewhat of an icon. Other donations come from government of Cambodia, companies, tourists and other charity groups to support this foundation. 

Related topic: Reasons that Cambodian people love Dr. Beat Richner, a super hero in Cambodia.