SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE DIGEST

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005647985
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: May 27, 2011
• Case Number: F-2010-01312
• Publication Date: March 1, 1968

(b)(1)
(b)(3)
D3RECTORATE OF
SCIENCE &. TECHNOLOGY
SCIEl~'I'I~'~C Il~'I'EI.LIGEI~T~E DIGES'T'
;;1~1~i~J1t~~'~{~Y #',~"E~'i
APPROVED FOR
RELEASES DATE:
16-May-2011
 MEDICAL SUPPQRT BASES IN
LAOS
FOR TVORTH VIETNAMESE/PATHET LAO FORCES
The::Communist forces in Laos have
established some ;90 medical facilities
from:;the Muong Luorig.area in northwest
Laos.,.. south to the Cambodian border. Th
e
facilities, which appear` to be concen-
trated in groups, are located along ahe
infiltration routes-.used'formoving North
Vietnamese Army (NVA) units to the
south and for moving supplies to South
Vietnam from China and .North Vietnam.
Five general groupings of medical facili-
ties are apparent iri the following areas?
Houa. Khong.-and Luang,Prabang Prov-.
P r o v.i n c-e s, Khammouane Province.,
Savan
akfi
t
n
e
Province, and in Sedone and
ported
to. consis o approximately 63
ospita.ls unspecified as to size or ta
pe
of service available, four medical supply:.
depots, a ,"medical chool," a ?`inedical
training" f a c i l is y, a combination
.hospital/medical headquarters/rnedicai
supply depot,`'and some 20 unidentified
nedicai installations, .
The concentration of these facilities
appears to be consistent with the observed
pattern of PL and NV'A military concen-
trations and operations in Laos, Aiso the
facilities are well located for handling
the storage and distribution of supplies
coming from China through the Yunnan
salient, for supporting the infiltration of
.supplies and men from North. Vietnam
into Laos, and the movement of men and
supplies from Laos into South Vietnam.
The medical facilities undoubtedly are
primarily-for the support of the NVA units
and secondarily for the PL. Those in the
Laotian .panhandle probably also serve as .
support bases .for the evacuation-and care
of the Viet Conga Civilians in PL con-
trolled areas are limited in their use of
these facilities,
SID 68-3
Mar 68
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 school . is not reflected on the map. but
could be. any. one .of the unidentified
medical facilities in the Xiangkhoang
area,
The third general:.groupngof.faclities
is located in IiYiammouane Province .and
i$ largely in the Mahaxay-Thakhet area.
Six :hospitals, five unidentified facilities,
two supply depots and a medical `school
are located within 2fl` miles':of Ba.m Phoi
Kheng. Additional facilities in this;group
consist of tliree` hospitals, two unidenti-
fled facilities and a medicaFsupply depot.
The grouping of these. facilities is con-
sistent with reports :ofa build-up of com-
munist forces in the Mahaxay-Thakhet
area.
The fourth general grouping of facili-
ties is located in Savannakhet;Province.
This group .extends from the Kham-
mouane border south: to Muong Noig: In-
:eluded in:this group are six hospitals, a
hospital/medical supply/medical head-
quarters complex, and two :unidentified
facilities, 'The complex is .located.ia an
area of P:L/NSIA build-up that started in
1965. Since . then, enemy activity has
increased in this area- which is believed
to be a staging area for NVA operations
into South Vietnam ::According to.,MAGV
and other sources, ahe Uiet Cong also
are. believed_to use. this general area as
a refuge and probably .-for medical
support.
0
The fifth group -lies in Sedone and
Attopeu Provinces. This `group has. the
fewest facilities'.arid all but two .are near
the Cambodian border: The facilities in-
clude two hospitals, two unidentified
facilities, and a medical supply depot:
The installations in Attopeu may be con-
cerned with ahe storage and distribution
of medicines obtained from Cambodia
as well as :rendering some medical sup-
port to P.L and Viet Cong wounded in ahe
area, Qne-report. alleges that a PL/NVA
headquarters. was in the Cambodian
border area in the fall of 196?. Among
the duties of this headquarters reportedly
was the distribution of weapons, food, and
medicine from Cambodia,` The location of
the facilities in Sedone and Attopeu Prov-
inces is consistent with a reported con-
centration of enemy military. units and
operations in that area. ;
Descriptions of PL/NVA medical sup-
port facilities in Laos have been very
few. Judging from the reports available,
however,. -most of the hospital units
appear to be equivalent to VietCongbat-
taion aid stations or regimental medical
facilities. Bed capacities have not been
..given but all are probably under 5fl beds.
While most of the facilities probably can
b.e .moved, they appear to be used as fixed
installations. Such facilities could handle
:minor wounds, shock, routine surgery,
infectious diseases, and limited periods
of convalescence, Apparently few of these
hospitals -are capable of treating severe
wounds, and reports indicate that
wounded NVA personnel coming from
South Vietnam or Laos are filtered north
through Laos to North Vietnam or China.
However, one. report concerning a large
PL .hospital near Xiangkoang Town states
.that "minor illnesses are riot treated."
Tliis hospital possibly has facilities for
.major surgery because it is near a PL/
NVA military headquarters. Further de-
tails are unavailable.
SID 68-3
Mar 68
- 3~2 -
 Information on :the qualifications of
Laotian physicians. or medical workers
also is limited, but most Laotian trained
physicians- probably. are of love pro-
fessional 'quality with the exception of
those few trained in France. Some
Laotian medical personnel apparently
.have received Chinese or'.'North Viet-
namese training: ponsored by the PL,
but their quali?y cannot be determined.
It, can be.expected, however, that Chinese
physicians, when present., give the best
medical service available. -Most of the
PL medical personnel probably are
graduates of six-month medical courses
or less where-basic nursing and'advanced
first aid are taught. The medical school
and medical training facilities also are
probably of the six-month variety.
The overall capability of the PL for
adequate medical care of their own
forces is estimated to be low. The treat-
ment of IVVA .casualties and probably the
Viet Cang also will seriously strain their
present capability. Civilians in PL con-
trolled territory reportedly are without
medical aid, and this situation is the basis
for defections among some civilians from
PL Contrntleri areas,
SID 68-3
Mar 68
- 33 -