Men will be able to receive laser treatment for benign enlarged prostates at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the new year.

The Argus Group donated $52,500 for the purchase of a GreenLight XPS System, which makes this treatment possible.

The system will be available from January and is forecast to benefit more than 100 men every year.

Thanking Argus for the donation, which was made possible through the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Foundation, consultant urologist Jonathan Makanjuola, founder of the Daily Male monthly prostate screenings, called the system a “fantastic development for our local urology service”.

He added that it is as effective as traditional prostate surgery and patients “experience less time in surgery, fewer days using a catheter, shorter post-operative recovery and fewer complications”.

Dr Makanjuola also pointed out that in 95 per cent of cases this treatment can be done as an outpatient procedure, or without men having to stay in the hospital overnight.

He added: “This is three times higher than the traditional surgery option, where only 32 per cent of patients can be discharged the same day.

“As it’s a shorter procedure that doesn’t require a hospital bed, we also expect that more of these surgeries can be undertaken.

“This should help us reduce wait times, which are currently at about six to eight weeks.”

Wesley Miller, the BHB chief of staff, said the technology helps the hospital to provide “better quality, safer and less costly service”.

Kim Pratt, the executive director of the BHCF, said the contribution speaks to the charity’s vision “to support BHB in enhancing health and healthcare services in Bermuda”.

She added: “Thanks to Argus’s generous donation, we now only need $17,500 to completely fund the new equipment.”

Highlighting the “profound implications” of prostate cancer and benign enlargement on the island’s men, Peter Lozier, the chief executive of Argus Americas, said it is “imperative that we champion technology that provides timely treatment for these conditions”.

He added: “The introduction of the GreenLight Laser XPS system marks improvement in surgical care.

“Through this contribution, we are facilitating quicker treatment and recovery, reducing healthcare costs, shortening hospital stays and, most importantly, saving lives.”

• To donate towards this initiative, e-mail kim.pratt@bhcf.bm or visitbhcf.bm, and specify that the contribution is for GreenLight