Press releases, 29.03.2017

It is with deep regret that the Government of Switzerland, represented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Cambodia, has learned of the serious illness of Dr. Beat Richner, the founder of the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals. The Government of Switzerland, together with the Kantha Bopha Foundation, is committed to collaborating with the Royal Government of Cambodia in working towards the long-term financial sustainabil-ity of the hospitals. It will support the Foundation and Dr. Peter Studer as interim acting director to ensure the continuity of the hospitals as a model for high quality, free, child and maternal health care.

Switzerland’s Strategy for the Mekong Region contributes to poverty reduction and inclusive devel-opment in Cambodia: Switzerland supports poor and marginalized people to access quality public services, in particular health care; it supports access to food security and land, as well as to skills development and employment. The support to the Kantha Bopha Hospitals is an important part of the Swiss engagement in Cambodia.

Switzerland has supported the Kantha Bopha Hospitals since 1994, with a total amount of CHF 57 Million Swiss Francs. Currently the annual contribution amounts to 4 Million Swiss Francs. Since 2013, Switzerland has increased its engagement with the Cambodian Government, in close coor-dination with Dr. Beat Richner and the Kantha Bopha Foundation, to work towards long-term solu-tions for the financial sustainability of the hospitals.