Georges Gachot in 2004 titled "GELD ODER BLUT" that goes in depth regarding Dr Beat Richner's fight with corruption. It is in Deutsch/Français/English/CH-Deutsch with subtitles - (Georges GACHOT 4 fims page photo)

Georges Gachot in 2004 titled "GELD ODER BLUT" that goes in depth regarding Dr. Beat Richner's fight with corruption - (Screen shot photo)

Dr. Richner's hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, so much so that he had to put beds in the hallways to accommodate them - (Screen shot photo)

Video Beat - DR BEAT - DVD - "GELD ODER BLUT"

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Dr. Beat Richner and his work in Cambodia are also the subject of six documentary films by Georges Gachot: Bach at the Pagoda (1997), And the Beat Goes On (1999), Depardieu goes for Beatocello (2002), Money or Blood (2004), "15 Years of Kantha Bopha" (2007), "Beatocello's Umbrella" (2012) . In 2006, the documentary "Dr Beat and The Passive Genocide of Children" by Australian film maker Janine Hosking was produced

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Monday, September 09, 2019

When I first heard that Dr Beat Richner passed away last year on September 9, I was shocked. At the time I was out of the country and the international news sources made no mention of his death. While they have time to focus on bludgeoning Iran and North Korea as the messengers of death they fail to give recognition of an individual that saved and delivered life TO CHILDREN in the nation of THE KILLING FIELDS.

Richner was originally in Cambodia in the early 70's as a pediatrician but left in 1974 when the Khmer Rouge began the slaughter of its own people.

In December 1991 Richner returned to Cambodia and saw the devastation that had taken place following the ensuing conflicts with the Khmer Rouge and Vietnam. He was asked to re-open and rebuild Kantha Bopha by the Cambodian government.

Creating the Kantha Bopha Foundation in March 1992, Richner officially returned to Cambodia to begin reconstruction and Kantha Bopha was reopened in November 1992. Since then, the foundation has funded the expansion of Kantha Bopha Children's Hospitals to include five hospitals in total.

The Kantha Bopha hospitals treat half a million children per year free of charge. Approx 100,000 seriously ill children are admitted. Japanese encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever and typhoid are common, often exacerbated by the presence of TB. TB is the number one killer. Mortality rate is an astonishingly low 1%. Richner says that over 80% of all paediatric health care in Cambodia is provided by his hospitals.

Currently, of the 2400 Kantha Bopha staff members, Dr. Richner alongside the head pathologist Dr. Denis Laurent, were the only expatriate staff members employed at the hospitals.

Following his passing the Khmer media gave him his recognition with coverage but for a man who gave so much for Cambodia it (to me) was not enough. The man deserves a statue and his home turned into a museum. His home was just behind my former residence but unfortunately it was transformed into a sleazy restaurant not a museum designed to give him the credit he deserves.

When I wrote my story "Dr. Beat" - Free Health Care for Cambodian Children in 2002 it received rave reviews. When I bumped into him while he was briskly walking down the street opposite the Independence Monument he was taken back that it was I who wrote the story.

When we first met at Kantha Bopha hospital 1 he charged at me for entering the rear of the premises rather than the front. At the time he was in a meeting with two other individuals. When I explained that it was my first time there and I didn't know the layout of the facility and that's where the tuk tuk dropped me off, he relaxed and asked me to wait until he finished his meeting. When he was ready... the BEAT WENT ON.

The beginning of my story was a quote from a man sitting next to me at a Beatocello concert in Siem Reap. The man said, "He gave his life for this (the hospitals for free health care for children.)"

When he passed following a long illness it proved to be the man's statement turned out to be a prophecy that culminated 16 years later. In Dr Beat, I have never met a man with such conviction. He was a man of results… not talk.

When I met Richner in 2002 he had only built three hospitals. Two were in Phnom Penh and one in Siem Reap where he performed his concerts. When he left us last year (2018) he had FIVE hospitals built. The good doctor accomplished this while fighting corruption.

Although my story focused of Richner and his accomplishments and challenges until the, there is an excellent film produced and directed by Georges Gachot in 2004 titled "GELD ODER BLUT" that goes in depth regarding his fight with corruption. It is in Deutsch/Français/English/CH-Deutsch with subtitles.

A point that stands out in the film is he notes that the WHO funded $1 million to fight the dengue fever epidemic that plagues the country. Richener stated that the money never arrived since the hierarchy divides and keeps the money for themselves. Richner claimed that 33% each was taken by UNICEF, the governor and the ministry. Richner said only $2,000 worth of walls were built as a result.

The film reveals not only Richner but the plight of the health system in Cambodia and how the government mistreats it own citizens whereas he held the government responsible. Richner was a warrior. He waged war on the large aid agencies, claiming that their policies of poor health care for poor people in poor countries are both illogical and immoral.

It's one thing to read about his work but it's better to see it. The problem is how can you purchase one? As we followed the paper trail and searched Amazon to see if they were available there was no information.

When we followed Gachot's links to order the result was a blank and the links disconnected.

The point being the "GELD ODER BLUT" film is a WORTH and MUST SEE, the question is how and where.

OF NOTE:

Richner and his work in Cambodia are also the subject of six documentary films by Georges Gachot: Bach at the Pagoda (1997), And the Beat Goes On (1999), Depardieu goes for Beatocello (2002), Money or Blood (2004), "15 Years of Kantha Bopha" (2007), "Beatocello's Umbrella" (2012) . In 2006, the documentary "Dr Beat and The Passive Genocide of Children" by Australian film maker Janine Hosking was produced.

To me it's astounding to see such a large man (approximately 6'4") who seemed to be healthy and strong, die at the age of 71. In reality the man never seemed to stop in his fight to give the children of Cambodia QUALITY and FREE HEALTH CARE. He used all of his energy up. It was like the man said….. HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THIS.

NOTES:

Georges GACHOT 4 fims page = https://web.archive.org/web/20050203211952/http://gachot.ch/gachot_geldoderblut.html https://web.archive.org/web/20050307183635/http://www.gachot.ch/gachot_beatrichnerfilms.html DR BEAT film - 2004 - "GELD ODER BLUT" Welche Medizin für die Armen dieser Welt ?

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