Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital examined and treated over 80,000 children in November with more than 15,000 seriously ill children admitted to the institution and more than 2,000 successful deliveries.

The hospital’s summary report for November noted that of the 80,000 children, 15,532 were critically unwell and 1,749 had dengue fever cases and were hospitalised.

“Apart from this, 2,552 surgeries were conducted, including 113 open-heart surgeries and catheterisations at Kantha Bopha Siem Reap [Jayavarman VII Hospital] and Phnom Penh,” the report stated.

It highlighted that 8,730 pregnant women were examined and treated in the outpatient department and 2,059 gave birth.

Ky Santy, director of Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital in Phnom Penh, noted that the children treated had various conditions including respiratory diseases, prematurity, birth defects, infectious diseases, dengue fever, meningitis, congenital heart disease and injuries from traffic accidents.

He emphasised the importance of parental care, urging parents to maintain a clean and hygienic environment and to participate in preventive measures, particularly against dengue fever. 

“Guardians must seek medical advice from specialist doctors when their children are sick and avoid self-medicating. It’s crucial to seek appropriate treatment at health centres or referral hospitals,” he advised.

Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital in Phnom Penh and Jayavarman VII Hospital (Kantha Bopha III) collectively house approximately 2,200 beds. They serve an average of more than 3,000 children daily in their outpatient departments. 

Every day, about 500 seriously ill children are hospitalised, with an average of 2,000 admissions, including around 500 emergency cases, as per the hospital’s report.