Beat Richner

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Beat Richner (2007)

Beat Richner (born March 13, 1947 in Zurich ; † September 9, 2018 near Zurich; authorized to reside in Rohr (Aarau) and Zurich) was a Swiss pediatrician and musician who was best known for setting up children's hospitals in Cambodia .

Life

Beat Richner was already on the road as a street musician while studying medicine. After completing his medical degree in 1973, he specialized in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital in Zurich . In 1974/1975 the Swiss Red Cross sent him to the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge took over, Richner broke off his stay and resumed his previous work at the Children's Hospital in Zurich. In 1980 he opened his own practice in Zurich. In addition, he developed the role of the music clown Beatocello and performed in German-speaking Switzerland and abroad. To illustrate his program and his musical-poetic stories, he mainly published children's books with simple stick figures.

Richner went to Switzerland for clarifications at the end of February 2017 because he was suffering from an unknown disease. In March 2017 it was announced that Richner would be relinquishing the management of the hospitals for health reasons. Richner suffered from a rare and incurable brain disease with increasing loss of function and memory. His long-time friend and colleague Peter Studer took over the management of the hospitals. On September 9, 2018, Richner died at the age of 71 in a nursing home near Zurich. The commemoration took place on October 24th in the Grossmünster . On December 5th, the urn was returned to Cambodia. The mourning period was extended from seven to a hundred days at the behest of the Minister of Health.

plant

Cambodia

In December 1991 the Cambodian government asked him to rebuild and manage the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Phnom Penh , which had been destroyed during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. In March 1992 he founded the Foundation for Cambodian-Swiss Partnership in Pediatrics in Zurich , today's name: Stiftung Kinderspital Kantha Bopha, Dr. med. Beat Richner . He then traveled to Phnom Penh to begin the reconstruction work. In November 1992 the hospital (now known as Kantha Bopha I ) was able to resume operations under Richner's direction. In the following years it was constantly expanded and adapted to the most urgent needs; In addition, four more hospitals were built: three in Phnom Penh, one in Siem Reap .

Richner's successful work is based on a number of principles: Richner did not see his work as charity, but felt obliged to repair the war damage and restore justice. Ensuring the survival of children as the most sensitive victims of wars was a work of peace for him, because they can bring and maintain peace in the country in the future. In his opinion, every child in the world is entitled to correct, modern medicine ( anti - tuberculosis treatment , prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV with antiretroviral drugs , etc.). He considered barefoot medicine for poor countries inhuman, which is why all children in Richner's hospitals are cared for free of charge. Only the doctors decide who receives urgent treatment.

Donations are administered by the foundation alone and do not go to the government. The staff receives correct and decent wages from the hospital management. The Kantha Bopha hospitals are university clinics and therefore the high quality of medicine must be ensured in cooperation with international specialists. Richner paid attention to the cost / benefit ratio, which is considered to be one of the best in the world, goes hand in hand with a lean administration and is checked by a Swiss trustee office. Years ago, Richner had taken care of his deputy and successor in order to ensure the sustainability of his work in the interests of the government of Cambodia.

Within 20 years (from 1992 to 2012) around 12 million children were treated; by 2017 there were a total of 18 million children. One million children had been hospitalized by 2012. Around 85–90% of sick children across the country are treated in the five hospitals.

Awards

Publications

Books

Sound carrier

  • Beatocello in E minor with Pascale Berthelot (piano), 2006 (recorded in Cambodia)

Films about Richner

  • Bach at the Pagoda (1997, directed by Georges Gachot )
  • And the Beat goes on (1999, Georges Gachot)
  • Depardieu goes for Beatocello (2002, Georges Gachot)
  • Money or Blood (2004, Georges Gachot)
  • Kantha Bopha, 15 ans déjà (TV 2007, Georges Gachot)
  • L'ombrello di Beatocello (2012, Georges Gachot)

Web links

Commons : Beat Richner  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Manfred Rist: On the death of Beat Richner: The pediatrician and his memorial for Cambodia. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung from September 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ Sacha Ercolani: Sad farewell: Pediatrician Beat Richner is more ill than previously thought. In: Aargauer Zeitung . November 4, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Thomas Hasler: His life's work is “too big to fail”. In: Tages Anzeiger . November 27, 2017, archived from the original on November 27, 2017 ; accessed on September 9, 2018 .
  4. ↑ René Schwarzenbach, Peter Studer: Dr. med. Beat Richner “Beatocello” passed away. (PDF; 42 kB) Children's Hospital Kantha Bopha Foundation, Dr. med. Beat Richner, September 9, 2018, accessed September 9, 2018 .
  5. ^ Nicola Brusa: Zurich mourns Beat Richner. In: Tages-Anzeiger from October 24, 2018.
  6. ↑ dbarnbeck: Cambodia honors and venerates Dr. Beat Richner. December 9, 2018, accessed March 10, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Beat Richner's principles
  8. ↑ CD - Beatocello in E minor. In: gachot.ch. January 7, 2013, accessed September 9, 2018 .
  9. ↑ "L'ombrello di Beatocello". (PDF; 163 kB) by Georges Gachot 2012 (Switzerland, France). In: “Bund” -Filmmatinee No. 285. Georges Gachot, April 3, 2012, accessed on September 9, 2018 (movie poster).
  10. ↑ Beatocello's umbrella. (Video; 49 min) In: SRF broadcast DOK . September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .


personal data
SURNAME Richner, Beat
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Beatocello
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss pediatrician, musician and author
DATE OF BIRTH March 13, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich
DATE OF DEATH September 9, 2018
Place of death near Zurich