RX Radio is healing young patients one show at a time
By Chante Schatz
Radio as an ever-changing industry has struck the hearts of child patients at the Red Cross Children’s hospital. RX Radio is a children’s radio station at the hospital which is presented by young reporters.
Dr Gabriel Urgoiti at Radio Days Africa.
Dr Gabriel Urgoiti has traded in his stethoscope for a microphone in order “to improve the children’s experience of being in a hospital”, he said. Urgoiti, a medical doctor and children’s media expert, facilitated the project as a means to promote positive well-being in a hospital.
The project supports two types of training, namely basic training that teaches children life skills and how to use audio equipment to produce radio shows. There is also the ongoing training that teaches them how to become better child reporters.
The young reporters are patients from the hospital, some who have been diagnosed with cancer or viral infections since they were infants. A few audio snippets from Urgoiti’s presentation showed how these young reporters interacted with fellow child patients, nurses, doctors as well as family members in their radio production.
Noluyolo Ngomani from RX Radio in Cape Town presenting at Radio Days Africa.
Noluyolo Ngomani, senoir producer of RX Radio shared the need for radio for children, as it allows children to be at the forefront and express themselves. Ngomani explained that when there is no radio production, these young radio presenters also get a platform to express themselves on social media, they also use the intercom at the hospital to broadcast messages.
The radio show also incorporates news, sports, music, radio diaries, as well as interviews for discussion.
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