LOCAL cable provider Hardell Multimedia Limited has completed the first phase of cable installation at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The cable company, owned by businessman Harold Darrell, signed an eight-year contract with the Bermuda Hospitals Board in July, and recently completed installation of 200 television moniters on Perry, Cooper, Curtis, Gordon and the Maternity wards at KEMH.

Patients now have access to 18 cable channels and are no longer permitted to bring their own television sets into the hospital.

Hardell general manager of operations Corey Butterfield said the company now looked forward to adding an "interactive" element to the exisiting cable service.

"The next phase of the installation process to come is the interactive equipment which allows for two-way communication between the television equipment and the patient," he said.

"At present patients have one-way communication where through a monitor patients are receiving a signal. Interactive means they will be able to make choices; for instance, select video-on-demand movies or other choices of selections through the TV."

Mr. Butterfield said the installation process entailed "running" over 30,000 feet of state-of-the-art cable throughout the hosiptal to every patient's bedside.

"We are very excited to be able to bring this service to the hospital," he said.

"What we are doing is capturing a signal, boosting it up and then sending it out at its optimum level to every bed. We originally began the installation in 2001. However, due to certain misunderstandings at the time, there was a delay until we were finally able to sign the agreement with the hospital in July which runs for eight years."

In addition to providing cable channels and on-demand video movies, the Hospitals Board, via Hardell, would provide health educational films on the service as well, said Mr.Butterfield.

Hospitals Board CEO Joan Dillas, meanwhile, is delighted to have Hardell resume cable service after encountering difficulties in the installation process.

"We're delighted that television service has resumed at the hospital and are sure that our patients will be equally pleased," she said in a press release.

"Now that the television sets have been installed we want to advise the public that there is no need for them to bring their own televisions when staying overnight on one of the main wards."

Hardell at present has a dedicated staff member at the hospital every day between regular business hours and on-call personnel stationed there after hours. Television service is $13 per day and has been in service at the hospital since late August.