Motherhood should be a time of anticipation and delight for a woman, her family, and her community. For women in Cambodia however, giving birth remains a risky proposition. Each year, it was estimated that 1,700 Cambodian women die during pregnancy, delivery and after child birth. Geographical and financial barriers to health care during pregnancy, childbirth and early childhood, increase the risk of death for mothers and their children.

Since the beginning, HBB has made a commitment to remove these barriers. By being at the heart of the Cham’s poor and marginalized community, and through cross-subsidizing the financial burden between the rich and poor, our clinic in Phnom Penh has proven to remove both barriers to more than 300 poor families around our clinic.

Through our commitment to the concept of our Social Health Enterprise (SHE), we are proud to announce that all profits from our clinic has been reinvested for the construction of a Maternal and Child Hospital. The construction of the hospital has begun since March this year, and is expected to be completed in September. Once completed, the hospital will be replete with a consultation room, 2 labour rooms, 6 maternity wards and an operating theatre. The hospital will be run on the same SHE model as our clinic, that will continue to favour the poor.

Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology service, Dr Tauch Kimmaro who currently oversees the project is confident that the presence of the hospital will change the pattern of mortality and morbidity related to pregnancy in the surrounding community. Leading a team of doctors, community nurses and midwives, she will ensure that all pregnant mothers no matter how poor, shall receive the health care they deserve.

HBB Maternal and Child Hospital is expected to run in early 2017.