FELDSHERS AND OTHER SUB-PROFESSIONAL VETERINARY PERSONNEL/EXTENT OF SHORTAGE OF VETERINARIANS/PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN VETERINARIANS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030511-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 511
• Publication Date: February 16, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030511-1
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SUBJECT Feldshe- s and Other Sub-Professicrr.i Veterinary
Personnel/extent of Shortage of Veterinarians/
Percentage of Women Veterinarians
PLACE
ACQUIRED r,}ggg
DATE
ACQUIRED BY SOURCE
DATE DISTR./' ? . 3
REPORT NO r~
REPORT NO
1. Q. What is the proportion -f ?-eterinary feldshers to veterinary doctors in
the Lr8R?
A. They receive excellent training in special four-year high schools which
they enter after graduation from primary school. A graduate feldsher has
the option of going to work immediately after graduation or, if the au-
thorities consider him sufficiently prcmising, of entering a veterinary
college. The feldshera receive instruction in the same subjects as the
veter?,nary doctors. The curriculum covers pharmacology, anatory, physi-
ology, pathology, surgery and so on, although the instruction is more
superficial than in the veterinary colleges. A trained feldsher in the
USSR is a highly reliable 'individual who is at home with the medical
nomenclature and can be trusted in.emsrgencies to function as a reason-
ably competent substitute for a veterinary doctor. Some Soviet feldshsrs
work largely without supervision and are responsible for routine vaccina-
tioc and the diagnosis and reporting o'outbreaks of infectious disease.
A. They normally enter the army as regular recruits and undergo six months
of basic military training. At the end of this minimum six-months'period
they are eligible for commissions as Leitenants (first lieutenants). They
can never advance higher than that rain. According to Soviet arnct_regula-
tions, a military feldsher can never work alone, but mast be always under
the direct supervision of a veterinarian. Actually, the feldahers in the
Soviet army do most of the work while the veterinarians horse aromnd.
CLASSIFICATION COXPID TIAL _
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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?-~?/.?t.IJi111.1 ii~l ~'1'11I IN
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Pcr;:erll3_ge or Soo ict Teter -nariane are women and nr-e there been an
increase
d
or
ecrease since World War II?
A. I would estimate that in 1941 approximately 35% of Soviet veterinarians
were women. I have no certain knowledge as to a change in this proportion
since World War II but I assume that the percentage of women has increased
somewhat. An increase would be indicated by the general shortage of
veterinarians throughout the USSR and by losses of military veterinarians
sustained during World War Ii. Further, the percentage of women veteri-
narians was increasing steadily up to 1941 and I see no reason why this
trend should not be expected to continue up to 40 or 456.
Are there any special qualifications for women veterinarians in the USSR?
k. There were no special qualifications in 1941 aside from the ability to
paes the entrance examinations and to perform satisfactorily in the college
work.
6. Q. Are there many married couples among Soviet veterinarians and what is the
government's policy on letting such couples work in the same place?
A. In 1941 about 10% of Soviet veterinarians were married to other veteri-
narians. In the great majority of cases, these couples were assigned to
work in the same areas so that they could see one another often, if not
actually live together.
T. Q. In a previous repot, you said that the USSR is short 700 thou-
sand veterinarians. Is this figure correc',t if correct, does it include
veterinary personnel of the sub-professional level?
A. I regret having given you an incorrect figure. I meant to say 70 thousand
rather than 700 thousand and I would like at this time to estimate the
shortage as being between 70 and 100 thousand veterinarians. This does
not include sub-professionals and a like number of additional feldahers
is needed.
8. Q. Is there a sub-professional class known as veterinary assistants, who
receive four years' training, or are these considered feldshers?
A. The feldshers are the only sub-professional class of veterinary personnel
who receive four years' training. There arm two other sub-professional
groups whose members receive six montha'slecial training and who are not
always full-time veterinary personnel. First, there are the first-aid
feldshers who are trained to do nothing more than give first aid to sick
and injured animals. Bach collective farm has one of these first-aid
feldshers, usually a primary school graduate, but occasionally a high
school graduate vno voliniteera for the job, A primary school education
Ise requirement, however. The six months'course for these assistants
is held during the summer at the Feaeral Veterinary colleges. The
second group is made up of the artificial insemination technicians.
They also receive a six months'course at a Veterinary College and must
be s:;; least prim^lty school graduates. Their only function is to extract
eemer. from tuulls, verify 'tta presence of living speruatozoa under a
microscope, and inseminate the cove.
CrAWi5axTiAL/SScuRITY imaRpkiIclq
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