People walk in front of Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital near Wat Phnom in March last year. Heng Chivoan
The Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation announced on March 14 that in February, it received donations of 411,549,800 riel and $155,846 from 20,249 people. The foundation thanked all of the donors and continued to call on people to support the treatment and recovery of Cambodian children.
The foundation said the donations gave the children and their families hope and happiness.
Supporters can transfer contributions – free of fees – through partner banks and electronic payment services providers. These include Canadia, ACLEDA, ABA, Chip Mong, Wing, Sathapana, J Trust Royal and agents of electronic payment service provider True Money – or by direct donation at the Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation located at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, or through telephone number 061 70 1111.
The foundation added: “Local and foreign donors can continue donations to the foundation by becoming honorary members, with a contribution of 20 million riel [$5,000] per year, or supporting members at 5,000 riel per month or 60,000 riel per year, to show solidarity with the spirit of ‘Khmers help Khmers’.”
In February, Kantha Bopha treated 43,130 children in the outpatient ward, 5,908 seriously ill inpatients, and 84 children for dengue fever cases. A total of 1,598 children underwent surgical operations, with 89 open-heart operations and catheterisations performed at Kantha Bopha in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, according to the foundation.
It added that 5,951 pregnant women were examined and treated as outpatients and 1,349 babies were delivered at the maternity ward of Jayavarman VII Hospital.
Song Kosal, director of the Volunteer for Humanity Organisation, said that supporting the foundation was like supporting oneself because the hospital provided treatment without discrimination.
He added that his organisation had planned to carry out a number of activities to raise funds for the foundation, but has been unable to hold large gatherings due to the Covid-19 crisis.
“I would like to appeal to all people across the country – especially our foreign guests – whether one dollar or 2,000 riel, any contribution will make a difference,” he said.
The foundation said the regular donations helped many Cambodian children, most recently a 13-year-old boy who survived after receiving 40 days of medical treatment.
The child suffered a broken leg while playing football and seven days later was diagnosed with severe tetanus. He was rushed to Kantha Bopha Hospital in Phnom Penh, where he was treated for 40 days – with a ventilator and anaesthesia to relieve muscle spasms – in the ICU.
“An injury with an unclean object that contains the tetanus virus can cause tetanus, which can be life-threatening. The best protection against it is to be regularly vaccinated,” the foundation said.
Helping this child come back to life and smile again was the perfect reward for the sterling efforts of the Cambodian medical team.
All hospitalisations are free and non-discriminatory. Therefore, all donations from the public make a difference in the lives of ordinary Cambodian children and their families.
