|
|
A woman from the Southwest who joined the staff of the Peuan's 6
January hospital in 1976 as a nurse recalled that Phea (Ieng
Thirith) often visited in her capacity as Minister of Social
Affairs. She observed Ieng Thirith walking through the wards,
inspecting the patients and asking for statistics about survival
rates. Whenever she came to visit, instructions were given in the
hospital to make arrangements to put everything right. Thirith did
not speak to the nurses during these visits, only to Uncle Roat, the
person in charge of them, with whom Thirith convened meetings.
A woman from Takaev who worked at Po-1 hospital from April to
December 1978 recalled that Ieng Thirith presided over repeated
political education sessions for personnel from many -- perhaps all
-- Phnom Penh medical facilities, these being held at the old
society Faculty of Medicine building and sometimes combined with
medical instruction by other trainers. Because Thirith, who
arrived with a small bodyguard unit, seemed to be responsible for
political education in all hospitals, this source presumed she was
in charge of them. Thirith's instructions emphasized that students
must pay attention during their medical studies and look
conscientiously after patients. Students listened quietly during
her presentations, not daring to raise questions. At Po-1, this
source said, staff were not punished if patients died. The most
serious cases, which eventually included severely wounded
combatants, were sometimes treated by Chinese doctors on the staff,
who were not always able to save these patients.
|
|
