♪ the national pediatric hospital in cambodia, in phnon penh. patients here are provided with three meals a day, free of

charge. of course cambodia's eight national hospitals, this is the only one that provides free meals. tasty and nutritious, the mean yous wereeloped with the help of a japanese ngo. today, doctors, nurses, and kitchen staff continue to streamline the program.a japane. today, doctors, nurses, and kitchen staff continue to streamline the program. >> what ingredients should be added, and in what quantities? special software is used to

calculate nutritional value. >> every day, nurses check to make sure each individual child is eating properly. >> the nurses also instruct the parents on the importance of nutrition. the hospital's nutrition program is beginning to produce results. >> we follow the staff at a

cambodian hospital in their efforts to promote better pediatric health through the meals capital of cambodia, the town is home to 1.7 million people. the hospital was the country's first pediatric hospital. it has eight departments and receives an average of 300 patient visits each day. there are 250 beds here, and children with serious conditions are hospitalized for treatment.

this child was admitted last night. he was playing on the roof of his house when he slipped, fell, and hit his head hard. his family says that soon after, he began to vomit continuously. the doctor advised that his head be cooled with ice and that he should be kept under close observation. it's time for breakfast. instead of hospital food, the child is enjoying some porridge his mother brought him.

>> his mother didn't know the hospital food is complimentary. free hospital meals are still rare in cambodia. and many other parents react in the same way. now, it's lunchtime. the child's grandmother is fetching him a meal. the nurses told the family how the system works.

lunch is made up of fish and water lilly stock soup, pork, pumpkin, and winter melon sir fry, with rice and dessert. >> the campaign to provide nutritious hospital food began in 2006, when a japanese ngo dispatched doctors and offered technical support. the doctors were concerned that hospital meals were lacking in nutrition, resulting in longer recovery times for hospitalized children. based on this advice, the ngo

helped launch an overhaul of the hospital's nutrition system. this footage of the kitchen was taken in 2006. the area was cramped and unhygenic. with just a charcoal fire to work with, staff were able to prepare food for only one third of the patients. the kitchen was rebuilt in 2007 at a cost of about $70,000, provided by the japanese ngo. equipped with gas stoves, refrigerators, and all the necessary utensils, there is also ample space to cook. the project team, made up of

doctors, nurses, and kitchen staff was set up. this is the project leader, but she admits that she, too, didn't understand the importance of nutrition in a patient's recovery. >> she and her team members learned about fundamental nutritional science from nutritionists sent from japan. much time and effort was put into developing an ideal menu to aid the swift recovery of patients. she then organized study

meetings to share that knowledge and information with the rest of the hospital staff. but behind her efforts to improve hospital meals is a painful memory from the cambodian civil war.

>> in 2010, she finalized the hospital's nutritional standards. the food they offer is divided into seven categories, depending on the child's age or illness. regular meals include rice with a main dish, soup, and dessert. different caloric amounts are assigned according to age. children under the age of 2 are given meals to compliment breast milk. other choices include softer meals that are easier to chew, dishes with additional protein, and others with reduced salt. dishes are coded, making it easier to share information

among the staff. cambodian hospitals still lack necessary equipment, so the staff have to be inventive. it's 8:00 in the morning. the doctors are doing their >> this girl has a viral gallbladder inflammation. she is currently under observation to see when the surgery is required. the doctor advises the girl's father about her diet.

>> the doctor also instructs the nurse on the girl's diet category. >> after the doctors complete their rounds, the nurses check how much of their meals the children have eaten.

>> the nurse creates a list showing the food category required by each child. the lists are all written by hand. each meal type has been assigned a code.

>> every day, one nurse from each department is put in charge of creating the ill meal list. the lists are then taken to the designated post box.ll meal lis. the lists are then taken to the designated post bo meal list. the lists are then taken to the designated post bo meal list. the lists are then taken to the designated post bomeal list. the lists are then taken to the designated post box. the next morning, the kitchen staff come and collect the lists.

>> the kitchen staff start by look through the meal lists in detail. >> 250 nurses work at this hospital. some are still not used to the system. and sometimes make mistakes. if there is confusion over what to do, staff consult with the doctors and nurses. after the lists have been checked, the required number of

each meal type is written up on the board. >> the kitchen staff use the board to prepare the 25 different meal types. there are 11 kitchen staff all together. they work in shifts. the ingredients are procured from a nearby market.

today's soup is made from leafy vegetables and pork. and the main dish is a stir fry with fish, tomato, radish, and carrot. the food for children under 2 is made from pure aed pork, pumpkin, and rice. seasonings where only add after careful measurement.

>> lunch is being handed out. the kitchen staff confirm the name of the patient, and the meal type, using the meal lists. the total number of calories for each meal is carefully

calculated. the count is adjusted by changing the volume of rice. for the a 1 meal, one spoonful of rice is served. for the a 2 meal, staff add two spoonfuls. this is an a 3 meal, with three spoonfuls of rice.

>> the hospital food is prepared with great care, and the meals are popular with children and parents alike.

>> the doctors say the hospital meal program produces tangible results. >> one hospital is making a difference in the health of its patients. but in cambodia, there are many more that don't provide such a

comprehensive range of food. and the link between well balanced meals and the speed of recovery from illness is not well understood. to help remedy this lack of knowledge, the national pediatric hospital shows videos in the waiting room to educate visiting family members.

>> this is the boy who fell from a roof and hit his head. he is now recovered and is ready to go home.

bye-bye. >> bye-bye. >> the team is currently working to develop new meals. >> they exchange ideas about what food will prove popular

with the children. >> the discussion continues for 30 minutes. two days later, the kitchen staff are experimenting with a new dish, a soup that uses ivy

gourd. ivy gourd is often eaten at home by cambodian families. it's available at a low price all year round and is full of iron and vitamins. to make the soup, pieces of fish are stewed together with garlic. the ivy gourd is then added. other children's favorites, including pumpkin and winter melon also go into the pot. the recipe is based on nutritional calculations made by the project leader.

>> the work of doctors and staff at the national pediatric hospital of cambodia continues as they strive to raise awareness of a healthier diet for the country's children. ♪

♪ hello there and welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 10th, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. officials with the tokyo stock exchange are allowing two units to go public. they say it could happen later this year. the combined market value of the three firms is estimated around $100 billion. one of the country's largest public offerings. the government currently owns 100% of japan post. the firm owns all the shares in japan bank and japan insurance. sources say the approval for the listings on the board should be expected thursday. the firms will be publicly