Milford chronicle., 1961-11-17
Mercy Via Rodio
Is A Mission Of
"hums" In Health

The housewife tuning in her fa-
vorite disc jockey is unaware OF
the real-life drama carried over a
different wave length.
Her usband-flipping on his
car radio to hear the latest news
does not realize that another driv-
er, in another town, uses his auto
mobile radio to receive and send
life-saving messages.
| Wireless communication aimed
directly at health preservation ex-
tends from the individual amateur
"ham" operator to the specialized
medical service organized around
use Of the air waves. Their loca-
tions range from American towns
to the inland regions of Australia
and halfway around the world to
Africa.
| In Sheridan, Ark, pharmacy
owner Jack H. Boyle has installed
radio units in his pharmacy, at
home. and in his delivery vehicle
and his personal auto. They enable
| him to keep in touch with his store
at all es-particularly when
filling rush orders for prescrip-
tions. Boyle's interest in radio COM
munication has been transmitted
to one Of the towns physicians,
who recently purchased two radio
units with which he can contact
| his office or call the pharmacy to
order medicines for his patients.
| Soy,,ra1Cnp NJ n Of Eiyod-
| lay, Ohio, recently compiled a di-
rectory Of physicians who are anna
teur radio operators-and who, in
many instances, have made use of
their avocation to offer medical
advice or assistance The list grew
to 600 names-and did not include
dozens of physicians who later in
dicated to DR.. Samuelson that they
also had ''ham' licenses
I'm Tampa, Fla, last June, anna
| teur radio operator L. j. Diaz over
heard a fellow "ham" calling from
Argentina to ask help in locating
| a drug desperately needed by an
18-month-old girl stricken by leu
kemia. Keeping radio contact, Diaz
phoned a Lederle Laboratories rep
resentative, Ed English, who lO-
Gated IA tablets of the drug and
also supplied information on air.
line schedules to South America.
Within hours, commercial air
line stewardess carried the tablets
to Miami, where they were trans
ferred to another flight bound for
Buenos Aires.
I'm Australia, radio tranSceiv-
ers located in homesteads, police
stations and aboriginal missions.
and carried on cars, jeeps and pack
horses by prospecting and survey
ing parties-enable isolated in
land communities and individuals
to call for emergency aid. Physi-
clans of the Royal Flying Doctor
Service treat minor ailments with
advice over the wireless. More seri-
Gus illness is dealt with by MAX
ing an emergency flight to see the
patient and, If necessary, by flying
him back to a hospital.
Handling an average of 8 to
10 calls day in his Rome office,
DR.. Guido Guida uses his short
wave set to give medical advice to
doctorless ships-usually freight
ers-plying the oceans. Establish
ed in 1935-and today largely sup
ported by the Italian government,
plus contributions from various
shipping lines-Dr. Guida's radio
clinic offers seamen of all cOun-
tries round-the-clock emergency
service, medical advice for nom
urgent cases at fixed hours and
radio consultations with special
lists on appointment. When neces-
sary, he signals ships near q vessel
with, a stricken crewman or pas
senger to change course in order
to offer medical aid.
Ham" radio operators I'M
Ghana, Israel and North Carolina
|cooperated when an eight-year-
boy in Accra, Ghana-se seriously In
jured in an automobile accident
faced possible death unless the
necessary surgeons and equipment
could be summoned. An amateur
operator in Accra sent an SOS to
Israel, where the nations leading