Beat Richner has fundamentally shaped the healthcare system in Cambodia. The film sheds light on the young Swiss doctor and his motivation to leave his comfortable world and embark on a great adventure. It also explores the question of what will happen after his death in 2018.
Swiss paediatrician Beat Richner, also known as Beatocello, worked in Cambodia for over 25 years. During this time, he set up five paediatric hospitals called Kantha Bopha I-V between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Today, 80 per cent of Cambodia’s sick children are treated in these hospitals. Who was this man who closed his profitable paediatric practice in Zurich and made it his life’s work to help the children of Cambodia?
When Beat Richner died of a rare disease on 9 September 2018, the vital question arose as to how things should continue now that „Dr God“, as Richner is known in Cambodia, is no longer there. The film shows how Richner shaped the Cambodian doctors and nurses and how they proudly go about their work in the spirit of the uncompromising and visionary Swiss doctor and with the experience they have gained from 20 years of working together. The implementation of Richner’s work philosophy has become a matter of honour for the entire staff. Fundamental Swiss virtues such as discipline, punctuality and training are still firmly anchored. Even five years after Richner’s death, the company continues to live and work according to these principles.
