RADIO FOR THE HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1931, Page 3

RADIO FOR THE HOSPITAL

INSTALLATION IN SIGHT. SPECIFICATIONS. APPROVED. The next few weeks should see the installation of radio throughout the New Plymouth Hospital an accomplished fact—a result that an enthus\iastic band of workers has been steadily aiming at for some time. It has succeeded in collecting a considerable sum of money. In order to ensure the best results possible a sub-committee was set'up to go into the question of specifications and at a .meeting of the full committee of the hospital radio fund on Wednesday night/presided over by the Mayor (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) the sub-committee made, its report. Full specifications were placed before the meeting, which adopted the report and passed a vote of thanks to the sub-committee for its painstaking work. It was explained that in preparing the specifications considerable care had to be taken to ensure them being of as open a nature as possible: in order not to restrict competition. Mr. W. W. Davy, Hawera, was appointed engineer to the committee and he will have charge of the installation. Tenders are to be invited at once, to close on March 4, and it is expected that the actual installation will be completed in a very short time, due principally to the fact that there is now on the market so much standardised apparatus suitable for large installations such as this. The installation itself covers ths main hospital block and the isolation hospital. It is not intended to equip the new children’s block at present, but that will be the subject of further consideration lateY. When the installation is completed every adult patient in the hospital will be supplied with a pillow phone— an ordinary receiver embedded in a cushion on which the patient can rest his head. For the. verandahs at the end of the ward loud speakers will be provided. The .equipment is very comprehensive and includes an electric turntable and pick-up so as to permit of the use of gramophone records. The services can be, split up so that the patients in some wards may be enjoying gramophone records whilst these in other wards are enjoying radio. A microphone is also being installed to enable addresses to be given to the patients or to permit of such services As the reading of the newspapers. No particular type of radio receiver is specified, but it will all be operated from the electric mains in the building and the whole outfit is so designed and will be so installed as- to be simple to .operate, 7