Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital will receive an additional $2 million this year from the government purse, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday.

The new money will bring the total state funding of the hospital to $5.2 million for 2015, with that figure set to rise further next year to $6 million.

“If we include the water and electricity bills, in total, we have spent more than $10 million [on Kantha Bopha], almost a quarter of the hospital’s expenses,” Hun Sen said.

Aun Porn Moniroth, minister of economy and finance, yesterday paid a visit to the hospital, which is renowned for treating children to a high standard.

During his visit, Porn Moniroth said that with the new funding taken into account and the state covering salaries, utilities and other operating costs, the bill to the government would reach about $6.5 million annually.

“On top of previous contributions, our social fund to help the hospital was $3.2 million in 2015 and now Prime Minister Hun Sen has added another $2 million,” he said.

A statement from the Ministry of Economy and Finance lauded the founder of Kantha Bopha, Dr Beat Richner, saying his hospitals have held 14.5 million consultations and treated 1.6 million children suffering from serious diseases.

The five Kantha Bopha hospitals have previously been estimated to treat 80 per cent of the country’s pediatric cases.