HEALTH CONDITIONS AND MEDICAL FACILITIES IN LENINGRAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01030R000100330005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 24, 2013
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 1, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/24 : CIA-RDP81-01030R000100330005-9
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORTS
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
50X1-HUM
COUNTRY
USSR (Leningrad Oblast) ?
REPORT
SUBJECT
Health Conditions and Medical
DATE DISTR.
1 December
1953
Facilities in Leningrad
NO. OF PAGES 5 50X1-HUM
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
REQUIREMENT
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REFERENCES
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THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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STATE
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
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ARMY
x#
Ii AVY
x#
AIR
x#
FBI
AEC
Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "#".)
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SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
REPORT
COUNTRY : USSR (Leningrad
cj
Oblast) DATE DISTR..22-')cr
SUBJECT r Health Conditions and Medical Facilities in NO. OF PAGES 41
Leningrad
PLACE
NO. OF ENCLS.
ACQUIRED
(LISTED BELOW)
DATE
SUPPLEMENT TO 50X1-HUM
ACQUIRED
REPORT NO.
DATE OF INFORMATION
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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lWATER SUPPLY
2. Water was supplied this area from
the entire oity0
tamed in 'gait from Lake Ladoga.
showed a water-purification plant
a central water system which serviced
the city water was ob.; 50X1-HUM
Leningrad which
purportedly located within the city,
3. The water supplied was brownish in color and contained rust-like
sediment. Althcugh the water was liighly chlorinated, public ordinance
prescribed that the water be boiled before use.
DISPOSAL FACILITIES
4.
The city had .a modern sewage disposal system. which serviced the entire
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municipal area0 the sewage was discharged into the
canals that were located throughout the city, and which led to the
Neva River.
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FOOD AVAILABILITY
.5. Food supplies in Leningrad were generally adequate following 1946.
Food was sold-in food stores and in open markets in the city. Dur
dng the postwar years we Germans obtained bread rations at Institute
49, and then traded the bread for other food in the markets.
6. The Soviets hsually ate one hot meal a day, and this was a one-course
meal. It coheisted of a cabbage or tomato soup, with potatoes. Con-
eiderable bread was eaten; tea was regularly drunk instead of coffee.
7. TOmatees,,cuenmhers, and carrots, were eaten in season, but this period
wan very brief... Meats and fish of all kinds were Allays available.
Meats, however, were expensive. The meat that was sold in the market
bore an inspection stamp (indicating the approval of a veterinary.
inspector)..
8. Unpasteurized milk was sold door-to-door by venders who owned cowe.
Bottled pastedrized milk was sold in the stores.
9. Fate of all kinds were sold at the market. Butter, margarine, pork
. fat, and sunflower oil were available.- Sunflower oil was very
inexpensive, and the Soviets preferred it to Margarine.
10. The small -food shops located throughout* the city were very dirty', but
the larger ones were generally quite clean. The laiger stores were
equipped with food refrigeration units. The handling of meat (after
_inspection) by the salespeople and the public was most unsanitary.
The city authorities published a list of hygiene regulations for food
stores whichwas posted on the wall of each shop. Cuatomere-had.
the privilege to complain about any unsanitary practices that were
Observed, but no serious attention was paid sanitation by the Soviets,
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BISEASE INCIDENCE
11.
Infectious diseases which were prevalent in Leningrad were tuberculosis,
dysentery (whiCh occurred annually), influenza, and children's diseases.
"yphOid fever occurred very rarely. Venereal diseases did not iPpear
to be a.problem. A form of jaundice was fairly common,
it was treated with penicillin and etreptoold. 50X1-HUM
12. no aniMil diseases in the city, and no mention al .50X1-HUM
L8flny8rrbuo.11o8is, bovine tuberculosis or rabies.
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13. The population vete infested with intestinal worms which_wers treated
With santonin.
MEDICAL.FACILITIES.
14. The city, had many_polyclinics. The one was No.5Z1 -HUM
which was located on nearby Stalin prospekt
Thu was a three-story building with about 25 roots; this
polyclieic.had.several branches. branch was located on the ground
floor of a hoose on Kuznetsovskaya ulitsa.
These installations were staffed with experts in the various fields 50X1-HUM
of medicine. Treatment was administered free of charge. A laboratory
in :which blood and urine analysee'vere made was.attaohed-te this poly-
clinic.-
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15. Another polyclinic in Leningrad, known as the Maximilianovskeka'
clinic, furnished hatter treatment, and was better equipped. This
clinic was located in the center of the city and was staffed by
university doctors and professors. Arrangement for an interview
was carried but privately and appdintmente were usually made in
advance. A five ruble fee was charged at this polyclinic. .
16. The hospital for the Moscow rayon was located opposite polyclinic No.
22 an Stalin prospekt. It was housed in a U-shaped building; a
few sections of the hospital were located in several barracks.
Approximately 250 beds were available in this hospital. The care
here was poor, and the corridors were crowded with beds. All of
the hospitals throughout Leningrad were similarly crowded. '
17. Free dental care was furnished at the polyclinic. Payment hid to
be 'made for dental treatment at the University dental clinic. The
-dental drills at both clinics were usually poor, and the care
administered vas 'inferior when judged by Western standards. Steel
was used to make false teeth. '
18. Institute 49 was also equipped with a dispensary or "med.4unkt."
It was staffed by.a female doctor and seven nurses, and occuPied
.four rooms. Only minor ailments were treated here. Referrals
were usually made to the patient's owndistrict polyclinic rather
than to the-polyclinic in the district in which the institute *as
located.
19. No hospitals specifically designated to treat infectious diseases '
were located These eases were usually isolated 50X1-HUM
in a section of the local hospital, or referred to a hospital'on
Old Neva prospe0 located in the quarter of Leningrad south at
the Mosdow railroad statior4
20. A maternity hospital was
located in a two-story building 50X1-HUM
on Kuznetsovskaya ulitaa. This hospital 50X1-HUM
had been opened in 1950. It had 150 beds; there were always a
'Meat number_of patients at this hospital. The staff included a .
university Professor and his students. The German women were sent
to this hospital, and 'were generally satisfied with the care given
them there.
21. Mothers were obliged by public health regulation to have their
children in a.maternity hospital, under a physician's oare.
Ambulances Wert always available for this purpose.
PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES
22: No one was specifically charged with enforcing an industrial
safety program at Institute 49. Fire prevention rules, however,
were enforced. General health protection was presumably the task
of the female physician at the "mechinunkter In general, no safSty
program existed at the institute, and the workers did not excerdise
their-right of criticizing unsafe working practices. 50X1-HUM
23.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
24.
blood was used for transfusions in the city hospitals.
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preserved
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MTS.:
26. There were many flies and fleas in Leningrad. Trolley cars were
infested with bugs which crawled onto the passengers from the seats.
To combafthese vermin the Soviets sold a form of DDT in the stores
which Dote a-label with the word "dust", in Russian, on it.
27;
the surrounding country area had an poisenous5oxi
the area -HUM
reptilee except vipere.. .The vipers infested near Finland,
and to-thelieuth.
28. Thete were very many rats and mice'
they wets attracted by the garbage lying in the disposal shafts.
A city rodent disposal group visited the city residents to. find
out,whether-the homee'were infested with rodents; however no poisons
were dispensed and the group meiely suggested that'poieons be spread
to combat the pests.
ES CEL LANES
154 The city haalan unusually'ltirge number of cats, but few dogs. A
city regulation ,prohibited taking doge onto, public conveyances.
30, there were no poisonous plaets in the area, nor
any allergenic plants.
S SC R 'E ?
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/24: CIA-RDP81-01030R000100330005-9