Swiss children’s doctor who worked in Cambodia dies
Beat Richner, a Swiss paediatric doctor and cellist famous for his work in Cambodia, has died at the age of 71 after a serious illness, his foundation said on Sunday.
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Zurich-born Richner, also well known in Switzerland by his nickname of Beatocello, moved to Phnom Penh in 1992, where he rebuilt the Kantha Bopha children’s hospital at the request of Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk after the civil war.
He was honoured in Cambodia last year for his work treating sick children for free. Beat RichnerExternal link regularly gave concerts in Switzerland to present his work in Cambodia and raise money for it.
His illness had however obliged him to hand over the management of the children’s hospitals to his deputy Peter Studer.
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Swiss children’s doctor honoured by Cambodian king
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The sustainable continuation of the Kantha Bopha hospitalsExternal link, which treat sick children for free, is of great importance for Cambodia’s health system, said King Norodom Sihamoni on Wednesday at a ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the hospitals. Zurich-born Richner, also well known in Switzerland by his nickname of Beatocello, sadly could not be…
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Beat Richner, also well known in Switzerland under his nickname of Beatocello, gives a concert every Thursday and Saturday evening in the Kantha Bopha hospital in the northwestern town of Siem Reap, close to the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat. “Health is the main reason why poor families become ruined. By providing completely free…
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In 2003, Swiss Radio International, the predecessor of swissinfo.ch, interviewed Beat Richner about his work and why his nickname was “Beatocello”.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.