SIEM REAP, COMBODIA: - A controversial Swiss doctor who has frequently clashed with international health experts is continuing his fight to bring world-class healthcare to Cambodia's children by setting up an academy to train doctors and pouring additional millions into one of his hospitals.

Dr Beat Richner, who has set up five children's hospitals in Cambodia with funds from private donors, has built a new wing at his hospital in Siem Reap, close to the renowned temples at Angkor Wat, to solve a chronic shortage of beds. He refuses to turn patients away and many children are currently treated on mats on the floor.

The US$12 million (S$17 million) extension, which incorporates a state-of-the-art MRI scanner as well as 200 extra beds, is being launched today, alongside a new academy to train young doctors who are keen to pursue similar humanitarian projects.

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