포로신문
보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1725　9 October 1950

FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 1023)　4 October 1950

PW was cooperative ans of normal intelligence. Was in good physical and mental condition. Reliability - good.

No further interrogation recommended.

15 Jun 50 - Inducted into the HKPA at HAEJU (海州) and sent to P'YONGYANG.

19 Jun 50 - PW was assigned to the 40th Field Hospital activated on this date. Organization completed also on this date was as follows:

A. Hospital Superintendent - Lt Col (doctor), 2 orderlies (Pvt)

B. Cultural Officer - Maj (not a doctor), 2 orderlies (Pvt)

C. Intendence Section - Capt (not a medic off). No EM

1. Ration Control Officer - Sr Lt (non-medic)

2. Clothing Supply Officer _Sr Lt (non-medic)

3. Finance Officer - Sr Lt (non-medic)

D. Out Patient Service - Maj (Medic Off)

1. Diagnostician - 3 x Sr Lt (Medic Offs)

2. Clerk - 1 Lt (Medic Tech)

3. Nurses - 2 M/Sgt

E. Surgical Service - Maj (Medic Off)

1. Asst Surgeon (2 Capt, 4 Lt, (Medic Offs))

2. Chief Nurse - Jr Lt

3. Nurses - 40 NCO's and Pvts

F. Evacuation Section - Lt (Medic Tech)

1. Nurses - 3 Pvts

G. Transportation Section - Lt (Medic Tech)

1. Nurses - 3 Pvts

H. Pharmacy Section - Lt

1. Asst Pharmacist - Jr Lt

I. Kitchen Section - 5 Pvts

J. Aid Men - 30 NCO's and Pvts

K. Drivers - 8 NCO's and Pvts

- 8 hospital trucks

The 40th Field Hospital was hastily organized, consequently the doctors were all surgeons of low calibre. There were no qualified physicians or optical specialists. Of the 12 doctors assigned to positions of responsibility, only 6 were medical school graduates. The remainder of the doctors were licensed surgeons who, after self study at home, passed the National Medical Practitioners Examination at P'YONGYANG. All the nurses were graduates of nursing schools.

22 Jun 50 - 40th Field Hospital arrived SANYANG-NI, by rail.

25 Jun 28 Jun 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained at SANYANG-NI. Approx 300 wounded were received, treated and evacuated to the 11th Rear Hospital at P'YONGGANG. The 300 wounded were troops of 2nd Div.

28 Jun 50 - 30 Jun 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in HWACH'ON. Approx 400 wounded from 12th Div were received, treated and evacuated th 11th Rear Hospital in P'YONGGANG.

1 Jul - 2 Jul 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in CH'UNCHON. No patients were received. 55th Field Hospital which was also in CH'UNCHON took care of all wounded.

3 Jul - 6 Jul 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in HOENGSONG. Received, treated and evacuated approx 150 wounded of the 2nd and 12th Divs. Patients were evacuated to 11th Rear Hospital in P'YONGGANG.

6 Jul - 27 Jul 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in WONJU. Approx 1,000 wounded were received, treated and evacuated to SEOUL. Wounded were from the 2nd and 12th Divs. Approx 70% of wounded received to date were from the 12th Div.

31 Jul - 10 Aug 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in CH'ONGJU. Approx 1,500 wounded were received, treated and evacuated to 11th Rear Hospital in TAEJON. Of the 1,500 wounded, approx 1,300 were men from the 2nd Div.

12 Aug - 21 Aug 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in KUMCH'ON. Approx 600 wounded were received, treated and evacuated to the 11th Rear Hospital in TAEJON. Wounded were all from the 2nd Div.

22 Aug 50 - 30 Aug 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in KORYONG. Approx 200 wounded were received from the 2nd Div. Wounded were evacuated to the 11th Rear Hospital in TAEJON.

1 Sep - 15 Sep 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in HYOPCH'ON. Approx 1,300 wounded were received from the 2nd Div. Wounded from the 2nd Div were also sent to MYOSAN (妙山), where a detachment of the 40th Field Hospital was located. Number of patients received by this detachment unknown. All patients were evacuated to the 11th Rear Hospital in KOCH'ANG and NAMWON.

15 Sep - 23 Sep 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained at SINBAN-NI (新反里). A detachment of the hospital was located in OKTU-RI. Approx 2,000 wounded were received at OKTU-RI. Number received at SINBAN-NI unknown. The 2,000 wounded were from the 2nd, 4th and 9th Divs. The wounded were evacuated to 11th Rear Hospital in KOCH'ANG and NAMWON.

23 Sep - 24 Sep 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained at HYOPCH'ON. Approx 200 wounded were received from the 2nd, 4th and 9th Divs. All patients were evacuated to the 11th Rear Hospital in KOCH'ANG.

24 Sep - 25 Sep 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in KOCH'ANG. No patients were received.

25 Sep - 27 Sep 50 - 40th Field Hospital remained in TAEJON. No patients were received.

27 Sep 50 - 40th Field Hospital became disorganized because the Hospital Superintendent, Cultural Officer, Head Nurse and a handful of other officers deserted the unit taking the only available truck. PW and few of the hospital staff escaped to CH'ONGJU and were captured by UN Forces.

CO, 40th Field Hospital - KIM, Ki Ch'ol (김기철)

Lt Col (中佐)

33

Cultural Officer - O, Se Man (오세만)

Maj (少佐)

30

Intendence Officer - LEE, Che Myon (이제면)

Capt (總尉)

27

Out Patient Officer - PAK, Hyong Won (박형언)

Maj (少佐)

32

Chief Pharmacist - KIM, Tae Ch'o (김대초)

Jr Lt (少尉)

Age 24

Ration Control Officer - Cho, Ki Nam (조기남)

Sr Lt (大尉)

23

Clothing Control Officer - LEE, Ch'un Se (이춘세)

Sr Lt (大尉)

Medic Dept Chief, NKPA - LEE, Tong Hwa (이동화)

Maj Gen (少將)

40th Field Hospital - 969

By 15 Jul 50, all civilian surgeons in N KOREA regardless of age or physical condition were inducted for service in the NKPA. The only medical personnel available as of 15 Jul 50, were a handful of physicians, chiropractors and obstericians. Also by that date, because of the acute shortage of trained personnel, medical students who had two or more years of attendance in any of the medical schools in N KOREA were drafted into the army, given commissions (Jr Lt for 2nd year medical students, Lt for 3rd year students and Sr Lt for 4th year students) and assigned to the medical units as assistants to experienced personnel.

An estimated 2% of the medical officers of the NKPA were doctors who received their license through self study (some with absolutely no formal education) and by passing the National Medical Examination. Approximately 20% were doctors who enjoyed the same standing as the college educated medical personnel when in reality they merely passed the college graduate level medical examination with either little or no formal education or only a technical school (higher middle school level) background. The remaining 58% of the medical officers were medical technician school graduates who managed to pass the National Medical Examination, or 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students of accredited medical schools.

The only persons qualified to receive the National Medical Examination were those who met the following requirements.

1. Graduates of foreign medical schools with four or more years of medical school attendance.

2. Medical apprentices with five or more years of experience in a national hospital, preferably those with at least a Middle School background. (Persons of this category need not have any formal educational background providing they submit a letter of recommendation from a licensed physician and have five or more years of experience in a national hospital.)

Upon successfully completing the examination, the applicants were given certificates which entitled them to the same privileges as the graduates of accredited medical schools. The certificates were sufficient to obtain a license to practice.

Phase Ⅰ:

A. Anatomy; Two page thesis on each of any three organs.

B. Physiology: Two page thesis on each of any three organs.

C. Medicine: Two page thesis on the effect of each of any three drugs on bacteria.

D. Physics: One page thesis on the effects of X-rays, one page thesis on the laws governing coefficient of expansion, one page thesis on phosphorescence.

E. Chemistry: One page thesis on the chemical properties of any compound.

One page thesis on the chemical structure of any drug.

One page thesis on chemical valences.

Phase Ⅱ:

A. Internal Medicine: Five to six page essays on the causes of any of three diseases.

B. Surgery: Five to six page essay on the techniques and reasons for surgical operations of any three major conditions called for surgery.

C. Obstetrics: Two to three page study on the cause of sterility.

Two to three page essay on the Caesarean section.

Two to three page essay on the history of puerperal fever or any of the afflictions or complications resulting during pregnancy.

D. Optical: Two to three page essays on any of three optical afflictions.

E. Sanitation: Two to three page thesis on the effects of each of any three disinfectants giving the conditions under which they are employed.

F. Pathology: Three to four page essay on each of three pathological problems.

Phase Ⅲ:

A. Surgery: Applicant is given a patient whom he is to diagnose, give the cause of the affliction, and determine the method and type of treatment. Applicants are not required to perform surgical operations.

B. Internal Medicine: Applicant is given a patient whom he is to diagnose and determine the type of affliction, cause and treatment, during which time he is questioned on details by an experienced physician.

C. Obstetrics: Applicant is usually given an oral examination only because it involves patients who invariably are too modest.

The general subjects of the examination are selected by an instructor of an accredited medical college. Consequently the applicant is required to know all the problems with which he may confront.

The examination for each of the general subjects, the three phases last two hours. An applicant has to pay a fee of 50 WON for each attendance for the examination. The number of attendances required to complete the examination depends upon the extent of preparedness of each applicant.

The people are indifferent to the educational background of the doctors and the popularity of any physician depends upon his skill. There are laws governing improper medical treatment of patients and if death results, the next of kin may request an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death. If the autopsy reveals that the attending physician was at fault, he may be tried if the next of kin so demands. Even if the physician should be convicted and sentenced, he may resume practice upon completion of the sentence. There were no instances where a practitioner's license was revoked by court ruling.

All practitioners had to be members of a medical association to receive his ration of medicinals. There are no government sponsored associations. There is a medical association in each province. Membership fees depend upon whether the member is a wage earner or one who is in private practice. A wage earner is required to pay 1% of his income and a private practitioner as much as 6%. Because of the lack of medical personnel, the doctors were required to work at the municipal hospitals for a fixed salary. The application of this policy was left to the discretion of the provincial health commissioner. In most instances, a physician in poor health or over 60 years of age was required to work four hours a day at the municipal hospitals. During the remainder of the day he is free to attend to his private practice. Those in good health or below 60 years of age must work at the municipal hospitals. During the seventh day of the week, the doctors of this category may attend to their private practices. Although the doctors worked more than the eight hours per day for which they were paid they were not compensated for the extra hours of work.

The doctor's salary depended upon the number of years of experienced from the time they were licensed. A doctor with 10 or more years of experience was paid the maximum salary of 2,700 WON per month. A newly licensed doctor received the maximum salary of 1,800 WON per month.

An estimated 90% of the hospital superintendents and section chiefs were members of the North Korean Labor Party. These men had absolute control of the hospitals. In instances where a non-party member was the superintendent or the section chief, his party member assistant could override any of his decisions. In reality, he was only a nominal head. The superintendents were appointed by the Provincial Health Commissioner. The section chiefs were appointed by the superintendents and approved by the Health Commissioner. Until the latter part of 46, it was easy for a doctor to become a member of the NKLP. Since then, it has become increasingly difficult and in 50, an application for membership must be supported by recommendations from at least two members of good standing.

For the Commanding Officer: