A story this week incorrectly stated that Mr. Geoffrey Blee and his wife Juanita spearheaded a drive to raise $20,000 for King Edward VII Memorial Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. Mr. and Mrs. Blee -- whose daughter Kirsten succumbed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) last year -- raised $5,000 for the unit. Alexander Howden Group (Bermuda) Ltd donated another $5,000 and $10,000 was raised by the Children's Medical and Research Foundation.

The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital has reached another mile stone in the level of care it provides Bermudian newborns.

Yesterday was the official opening of the neo-natal intensive care unit which, with new state-of-the-art monitoring systems and neo-natal ventilators can help the survival rate of babies as premature as 24 weeks.

Mr. Geoffrey Blee and his wife Juanita, who spearheaded a drive to raise $20,000 for the unit after their ten-week-old daughter Kristen succumbed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) last year, were on hand to cut the ribbon.

Consultant paediatrician Dr. Stephen West said: "This is an exciting day for neo-natal care in Bermuda.

"This past year we have seen the celebrations occur for 100 years of hospital care in Bermuda, and today we are seeing another step in the continued improvement in the level of care provided to Bermudian infants.'' He added, "Since the establishment of the Maternity Ward in 1924, the hospital has continued to strive to ensure the provision of excellent and up-to-date treatment for expectant mothers and their infants.'' Dr. West also said as new technologies were established in major centres in North America, Bermuda has evaluated and adjusted its thinking and practices.

"For example, recent major renovations have occurred so that comfortable and cheerful birthing rooms were made available so mothers could labour and deliver their infants in the same room.

"With the advent of neo-natal ventilators, these pieces of equipment became available here in Bermuda, so that the technology could be used to save critically ill infants born here.'' He said that nurses had to learn new skills and some equipment has had to be upgraded.

"To this effect we have recently purchased two state-of-the-art monitoring systems and neo-natal ventilators. With these pieces of equipment we can provide the newest forms of ventilation for premature and critically ill infants,'' he said.

He added: "I believe that we can provide excellent medical care for critically ill babies born in Bermuda. That is we can provide the science of medicine. But I believe that our nursery staff can best provide the `art' of medicine as well.'' GRAND OPENING -- Officially opening the neonatal intensive care unit at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital are Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Blee who raised $20,000 for the unit and six-year-old Seth Pulley who at birth weighed barely over two-and-a-half pounds.