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Two examples of how endoscopy saves lives at Kantha Bopha. During the week of 10-14 November 2025, a Swiss mission led by four physicians and two nurses from the KiSpi took place at Kantha Bopha. Several topics, focused on the concrete needs of sick children and newborns, were addressed: intensive care, infectious diseases, nephrology, and gastroenterology. It is this last field that will be the focus of this article. Here, we present two diseases for which the use of endosco

During our time as students in Cambodia, we were able to gain countless experiences in the pediatric intensive care units, the maternity ward, and also in surgery. Of course, there are many other wards in this hospital, and I would like to tell you a little more about one of them. As of November, the oncology ward in Siem Reap is the hospital's newest department. It was officially opened on May 2 this year. The first patients were admitted to one of the 24 available beds at t

This one question has burrowed deep into her heart: “Why did my son get cancer?” Mao Ngogun blames herself—because such an innocent little creature cannot suddenly suffer so much without reason. What did she do wrong? Was the food she gave her child bad? “At first, I lost all hope and cried a lot,” she says, putting her arms around the boy sitting next to her on the hospital bed. The first signs that something was wrong appeared a few months earlier. Two-year-old Chivorn Sere

With a suitcase filled to the brim and barely complying with the airline's strict rules, I made my way to the airport with a heavy heart. It was a hasty farewell to a time that I had lived so intensely. I don't want to forget any of it: the rattling tuk-tuk rides, the sunsets captured over ancient temples, the rain showers, the friendships that formed quietly and grew stronger than expected. The first surgical knots that my hands tied hesitantly at first, then more confidentl

Cambodian-style hospitality. The two months I spent at Kantha Bopha Hospital were an extremely formative and enriching time for me, which I will look back on with great gratitude. From the very beginning, we were welcomed with remarkable openness, which made it extremely easy for me to settle in. The atmosphere towards us Swiss medical students was warm, uncomplicated, and often accompanied by humor. This made many situations that could quickly become stressful in everyday cl

Pierre will be joining our team in Cambodia in November 2025. The medical student will be working at our children's hospital in Siem Reap for two months. Here he introduces himself. Pierre Roux, 25, Grimisuat VS After high school and during my community service, I decided to study medicine. I wanted to help other people and at the same time complete a scientific degree. Since high school had given me the experience of knowledge and community service had given me the experie

Dr. Bunthong (right) with his team, whom I had the privilege of following for a week. Incubators, the constant beeping of monitors, and the smallest babies you have ever seen – these are the first impressions when you enter the neonatal intensive care unit in Siem Reap. Here, day after day, tireless efforts are made to ensure the survival and recovery of newborns and premature babies. The diseases and medical problems remain essentially the same as in Switzerland: infection p

«When life hurts – Siem Reap heals.» A saying we often heard from hospital staff and proud residents of this special city. For two months, I had the privilege of witnessing how the team at Kantha Bopha Hospital works every day to ensure that a stay in Siem Reap can truly heal, in the truest sense of the word. For this, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the directors, doctors, nurses, midwives, and all the staff at the hospital and the Kantha Bopha Children's Hosp

I traveled to the small town of many temples in September, at a very special time of year. It is the rainy season, thick clouds hang in...

Jason will be joining our team in Cambodia in October 2025. The medical student will be working at our children's hospital in Siem Reap...