Patients at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital are at last to get a television service after an 18-month stand-off was finally brought to a close.

Bermuda Hospitals Board announced yesterday that an agreement had finally been agreed with Hardell Multimedia Ltd. and said the first phase of the service should be up and running by the end of this month. Over the next month, Hardell will be installing a new “headend” or control equipment at the hospital and fitting television sets in patients rooms, which will provide two local and 18 cable channels, supplied by Bermuda CableVision.

And within the next six months, Hardell will add 12 healthcare video channels, two Bermudian cultural channels covering the development of Bermuda and its people; and one picturesque channel showing images of the Island to background music.

The announcement follows a bitter stand-off between Hardell, BHB and CableVision, in which Hardell filed a writ against the hospitals board. However, as part of the agreement, Hardell has agreed to cease all court actions outstanding against the hospitals board.

Hardell claimed that it had received a letter of intent from BHB in 2001, stating terms and agreements for Hardell to provide a television service to the patient wards.

Hardell then invested $400,000 on installing state-of-the-art cable equipment at the hospital, only then to be told that CableVision would not sell a service to it because it considered Hardell to be a reselling company.

Instead, CableVision wanted to provide a direct service to the hospital.

A bitter feud then ensued, resulting in BHB advertising for alternative providers, Hardell filling a writ, and the patients being left without a television service.

But yesterday Hardell director Corey Butterfield said the company was glad to finally see the matter resolved, and had agreed to discontinue all court actions outstanding against the hospitals board, on the understanding that it was given the contract.

“We are extremely happy to be able to bring awesome television technology to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital patients and visitors.

“We are thrilled to complete this agreement and we are looking forward to a fruitful relationship with the BHB.”

And hospital board chairman Jonathan Brewin said he was happy the service had been resumed.

He said: “I'm delighted that television service will soon be restored at the hospital. I'm sure our patients will be equally as pleased with the entertainment while they are staying at King Edward.

“And we look forward to the additional programming services within the next six months.”

Hardell will be visiting in-patients twice a day to offer the television service. For patients that are admitted after the second round, they will have the option of dialling an internal phone extension to automatically activate the service, which will cost $13 per day.

Hardell's system manufacturer has been providing television systems for hospitals in the Caribbean, North America and South America for more than 15 years. CableVision did not make any comment yesterday.