- At the May 21st
inauguration of the Jayavarman VII Children's
Hospital, an annexe of Kantha Bopha, in Siem Reap,
Samdech Hun Sen, prime minister of the Kingdom of
Cambodia, announced in the presence of King Norodom
Sihanouk that the government would give additional
land for the hospital.
-
- This new children's
hospital is working well, serving a large number of
patients with efficiency. In June 1999 for examples,
599 children were hospitalized and 8'811 were treated
at the outpatient station; in addition , 2'200
vaccinations were administered.
-
- The construction of
the infant surgical department is in the works and
should open in December 1999 (two theaters, one
scanner, 40 beds).
-
- Last week, we
started the construction of a new maternity facility
that will be used exclusively for mother who are HIV
positive. It will consist of two theaters, 40 beds and
a neonatology unit. Mothers will come from all over
the country, thus avoiding possible discrimination in
their home village.
-
- Five percent of
hospitalized children under the age of 5 are HIV
positive, which makes Kantha Bopha the children's
hospital with the highest HIV infection rate in the
world. By treating the mothers during the last week of
their pregnancy, by doing a Cesarean and by treating
the newborns the first day, the rate of HIV-positive
newborns can be reduced in a most significant
way.
-
- We are looking for
money to maintain our operations during the next 10
years.
-
- Our annual
operating budget for Kantha Bopha I, Kantha Bopha II
and Jayavarman VII (without the maternity facility now
is US $ 9 million. Each year with this, we treat
400'000 children at the outpatient station and 30,000
hospitalized children, and we administer 400'000
vaccinations-all for free.
-
- Cambodian truly
trust the Kantha Bopha hospitals. They offer free
services and are managed without corruption. More than
2.5 million families have visited Kantha Bopha
hospitals during the last 7 years. Without the Kantha
Bopha facilities, 2'000 Cambodian children would die
each month. Eighty five percent of our patients are
very poor-too poor to pay. Kantha Bopha is their only,
their last chance.
-
- Phnom Penh. 28. 8.
1999
-
- Dr. Beat
Richner
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