Bermudian workers will be used throughout the design, construction and operation phases of the new hospital project, according to a development boss.Barry New, the general manager of Paget Health Services, said local design consultant firms and businesses were “also benefiting from works in hand”.He said one of the strengths of his group’s proposal for the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital redevelopment was the importance it placed on having a “strong local base which enhances opportunities for Bermudians”.“Using this influence, the designs have been aligned with Bermudian ‘best practice’ and this gives a focus to local employment where our commitment is to maximise the percentage of Bermudians working on the project during its construction and the 30-year operational period.“[One of our partner companies] BCM McAlpine are also working hard to package work to employ the widest variety of Bermudian companies possible.“There is also the opportunity to enhance the residual skill base through training initiatives promoted by the Government for use on this project and others in the future.”PHS is a consortium of local and international companies that will design, build, finance and maintain the new hospital facility over the next 30 years.Mr New detailed some of the construction work that has already begun and its goals moving forward in a presentation to Hamilton Rotarians this week.He said development had started on the bulk excavations for the tanks, plant room and utility areas.Approximately 22,000 cubic yards of rock had been removed from the site, with most of it being recycled as aggregate for concrete or as stone fill.More excavation and reinforced concrete was also needed to complete the structure, which “can be expected to rise above the hoarding level in the New Year”, said Mr New.He said the new facility would provide residents with: 90 single-occupancy, en suite patient rooms; a four-storey atrium at the heart of the building; and a completely new emergency department.It will include day surgery operating and recovery suites; ambulatory care rooms including dialysis and oncology; and ‘state-of-the-art’ diagnostic imaging department.There will also be improved pedestrian access and car park and centralised utility plant, he explained.The new facility is expected to maximise the use of natural daylight and take advantage of “fine external views”. The developers have also established a relationship with Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art and plan to display local art work for public viewing, he said.Useful websites: www.pagethealthservices.com; www.bhb.com.