Hospital fees will increase by five percent starting on April 1.

Acting Health Minister Walter Lister announced the increase in the House of Assembly on Wednesday night, explaining the increase will cover increases in salaries, in the cost of medical supplies, and in the cost of maintenance to the Island's two hospitals.

The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) expects to take in approximately $138 million in revenue in the 2005/06 fiscal year, he said. The Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) expects KEMH to spend some $135 million in the same time, leaving the general hospital with a $3 million profit.

All hospital fees have been raised by five percent and rounded out to the nearest dollar, he said. That means the per diem in-patient rate for patients who are residents of Bermuda will rise to $806 for public ward accommodation, $963 for semi-private accommodation, and $1,156 for private accommodation.

For seniors, the per diem cost will be $310, and for newborn infants it will be $345. For those who are not residents of Bermuda, the costs will also rise.