Earlier this year The Week published information about the killing in North Vietnam by the U.S. Air Force of civilians completely unconnected with military or similar installations. Photogrephs of dead women and children were published on The Week's cover, Further information is now available. It comes from Mrs Pham Ngoc Thach, the North Vietnamese Minister of Health, who is Western-trained an Jaevoted himself to the health of his fellow-countrymen. Shortly before the systematic bombing of North Vietnam began I questioned him at length in Hanoi on many facets of public health there. I found him modest, cautious and concerned for scrupulous accuracy. It should be remembered that every piece of information onthe U.S, bombing of North Vietnam which he had sent before has been supported by photographic evidence. ; U.S. planes have bombed and strafed hospitals, infirmaries, maternity and medical stations, killing or wounding patients, doctors and their assistants. In the five months preceding July 1l, nearly 30 medical establishments <including tuberculosis and leprosy sanatoria - were bombed, burned, strafed or destroyed. + These include hospitals in Vinh Linh area, Quang Binh province, Son La and Yen Bai provincial capitals; hospitals in the districts of Quang Trach, Nghia Dan and Huong Khe; sanatoria at Cho Moi, Cua Lo and Ba Dons; and many maternity and medical stations. ~ ‘ Certain medical establishments have been bombed and strafed as many as five, seven and even fourteen times, killing doctors while they were still treating victims of the previous attack, U.S. planes have pursued and strafed patients seen limping away on crutches from ruined hospitals. Typical of these bombings and strafings were those of the Quynh Lap leper sanatorium (July 12 to 22), the T.B. hospital in Thanh-Hoa province (July 8) and hospitals in Yen Bai (July 9 to 11). The Quynh Lap leper sanatorium was on a coastal strip far from populated areas, It consisted of 160 buildings which could accomodate 2,600 patients and was the centre of -the final drive to eradicate leprosy. In the past five years 4,000 lepers received treatment there. Hundreds of bombs and rockets were showered on it during the night of June 12 and this was followed by 13 additional bombings and strafings during ten consecutive days. 139 patients were killed immediately and many others wounded. (The ruins of the sanatorium have in fact been visited by several Western observers recently.) The T.B. hospital in Thanh-Hoa province hdd 600 béds and modern research facilities. It was attacked by 40 U.S. jets which dropped over 100 bombs, At least 30 people were killed immediately (including five doctors) and many wounded. Both establishments were completely destroyed. In Yen Bai provincial capital, on an area less than one third of a square mile, U.S. aircraft dropped, for three consecutive days, hundreds of bombs on the hospitals, medical service buildings, hygiene and epidemiology station, T.B. sanatorium and mother-and-child establishments of the province. 48 people (mostly medical workers, pregnant women and children) were killed,
All these military actions - and much more - were part of a policy which the British Labour Government approved and supported publicly without reservation. All hospital patients in North Vietnam will have welcomed the British Govern= ment's recent call for a suspension ci U.S. air attacks, muffled and lukewarm though it was - and made for the wrong reasone