BERMUDA'S new Cardiac Diagnostic Unit at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is to officially open next month, the Bermuda Hospitals Board said yesterday..

Stephanie Reid, chief executive officer of the board, said the hospital's newest unit finished being constructed earlier this year, and had been fully functioning since July.

"The Cardiac Diagnostic Unit provides diagnostic services to the population such as ECG, EKG, stress tests - you name it," said Mrs. Reid. "There are a number of services now offered at this unit."

It is planned the unit will be a great asset as Bermuda works to fight against heart disease through treatment, education and prevention.

When the addition of the new unit was announced last year, KEMH cardiologist and Bermuda Heart Foundation (BHF) chairman Shane Marshall said the idea was to create a facility "that combines a stress-free environment, advanced technology and the ability to serve more cardiac patients".

Through the BHF, the facility was given millions of dollars of life-saving equipment, including a Digital Image Analysis Machine and Telemetry, which allows the constant monitoring of up to eight patients' vital signs at once.