A poster of the ‘10000 Riel-10000 Donors’ campaign to support Kantha Bopha hospital. CAMBODIA KANTHA BOPHA FOUNDATION
The Cambodian Kantha Bopha Foundation has successfully concluded its “10,000 riel, 10,000 donors” campaign, amassing more than $2 million in donations from a staggering number of over 220,000 contributors. Foundation officials have lauded this campaign as a standout, praising the active public participation it drew.
The campaign was launched on May 29, scheduled to run through the month of June, and timed to coincide with International Children’s Day on June 1. The initiative sought to raise funds for the operational costs of the foundation’s free children’s hospitals.
The foundation explained, “The Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation is a financial platform to support Kantha Bopha Hospital with other support from the Kantha Bopha Swiss Foundation. Therefore, the money received from donations, whether from the ‘10,000 riel, 10,000 donors’ campaign or other donations, are put in a joint jar of the foundation and transfer to the hospital when it is needed”.
Chan Narith, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and head of the Secretariat of the Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation, told The Post on July 4 that the campaign is one of the foundation’s main campaigns that actively participated from the public, ministries, state institutions, private sectors, national and international media as well as many popular individuals.
He added that they are not only donated to the foundation in the spirit of “Khmer helping Khmer”, but they are widely shares and disseminate news as well, to put a smile on children in Cambodia by supporting the sustainability of the hospital’s operation.
“Your donation is very valuable to save the lives of children in Cambodia. Finally, I would like to thank and call on all parents and donors to continue the spirit of “Khmer helping Khmer” although the “10,000 riel, 10,000 donors” campaign was closed, because check up and treatment for children is the Kantha Bopha hospitals still continues,” he said.
The foundation was established in 2018 and works alongside the Beat Richner Foundation of Switzerland to support the five Kantha Bopha Hospitals. The hospitals spend about $840,000 in an average per week or more than $40 million per year.
Separately, the hospital released a June report stating that the charity hospital treated over 70,000 outpatient children in the outpatient department while more than 10,000 critically ill youngsters found refuge in its care.
“The hospital managed to examine 71,113 children outpatiently, admitting 13,855 seriously ill patients, and treated 951 dengue fever cases,” detailed the report.
Additionally, 2,356 children underwent surgical procedures, with 90 requiring open-heart surgeries and catheterisations in Kantha Bopha’s Phnom Penh and Siem Reap branches. The hospital’s dedication was not confined to paediatrics as 9,534 expectant mothers also received examinations and treatments in the maternity ward of Jayavarman VII Children’s Hospital, leading to the successful delivery of 1,743 babies.
The hospital, comparing to its previous month, noted a significant rise in treated cases. In May, they cared for 61,911 outpatients, 11,403 critically ill children, and treated 275 dengue fever cases. The hospital also performed 2,300 surgeries and 73 open-heart operations. Their maternity unit welcomed 1,651 new-borns after monitoring 9,189 pregnant women.
