The present bedside entertainment system at Mater Dei Hospital is in the process of being dismantled to make way for next-generation Wi-Fi. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Mater Dei Hospital’s bedside entertainment is in the process of being replaced with a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi system enabling patients and relatives to watch television and surf the internet on their own devices.

Hospital chief executive Ivan Falzon told The Sunday Times of Malta that telecommunications provider GO had been commissioned to develop a platform with next-generation Wi-Fi across the entire hospital.

The hospital has invested €250,000 in the new infrastructure, which involved laying more than 25 kilometres of fibre-optic cable running through the hospital and nearly 500 routers.

The new service, which is currently being tested, is expected to be up and running by the end of July. It will replace the bedside entertainment services offered by telecommunications firm Melita since Mater Dei Hospital opened its doors in 2008.

Melita provided bedside entertainment services including television, internet and telephony through dedicated bedside terminals. These are now in the process of being dismantled after Melita informed the hospital authorities that it was not willing to continue providing the service.

It will deliver the latest in entertainment content to users, patients and, for the first time relatives

“The technology was fast becoming obsolete, and Melita needed to revise the model because it was not sustainable, so it opted out of the service and we immediately began looking at alternatives,” Mr Falzon said.

“Following extensive talks with Melita, the hospital administration entered into an agreement with GO to provide a state-of-the-art, wireless, bring-your-own-device-based system that would deliver the latest in entertainment content to hospital users, patients and, for the first time relatives,” he said.

He added that the new setup was such that it was also possible for hospital professionals to provide bedside care, cutting down on lots of paperwork. The plan is to add other services to the new system, whereby food menus, for example, could be chosen directly from a patient’s device.

Free Wi-Fi has already been rolled out in public areas, the Accident and Emergency Department, the main reception, the Outpatients Department and paediatric wards of Mater Dei.

The basic package offered by Melita was €4 a day. The new service in wards will cost €1 a day for television services and €2.50 a day for television and the internet. Wi-Fi in public areas will remain free.

“The new service will deliver greater value for money to the end user,” Mr Falzon said.

It will be accessible from patients’ devices, but the hospital administration is planning to have hardware available for rent to those who do not have it.