Cambodia & Solidarity: Kantha Bopha's 10,000 Riel campaign to be launched on World Children's Day

Kantha Bopha Hospital will kick off its annual “10,000 Riel, 10,000 People” campaign on the upcoming International Children’s Day to raise funds for its ongoing mission to provide free quality healthcare to Cambodian children.

Young patient of Khanta Bopha. Photo CG

First Lady Pich Chanmony will preside over the launch ceremony this Saturday, and the initiative will run from 1 to 30 June.

The Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation said the campaign would be held in the spirit of ”Khmer helping Khmer”, with the aim of putting a smile on the face of every sick child across the country. Last year, the campaign attracted the support of some 220,000 generous individuals, who together raised more than $2 million to help sick children.

According to the press release of the hospital, this support has played a critical role in sustaining the hospital, which examines and treats millions of infants and children each year on a budget of approximately $40 million. It added that since its inception in 1992, Kantha Bopha has treated more than 20 million children as outpatients and hospitalised 2.3 million for serious illnesses.

A mother in front of her child after a complex surgery. Photo CG

The first Kantha Bopha Hospital was opened in Phnom Penh in September 1992 by the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, named after his daughter who died of leukaemia at the age of four.

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.

Earlier this month, Senate President Hun Sen took on the role of head coach and team leader for the Cambodia Football Super Stars, organising a charity football match that successfully raised over $5 million for the hospital.

All medical services are provided free of charge at the charity hospital. It was established to address the problems of those in Cambodia who have limited financial resources and simply cannot afford the cost of medical treatment.

Without these hospitals, 3,200 children in Cambodia could potentially die every month, according to the foundation.