The emergency department was under immense strain and reached capacity on Wednesday night.
No ED beds were available and wait times to see a clinician eclipsed 12 hours.
A code yellow was called – a response measure that allows the hospital to repurpose every available space to maximise patient care.
This meant all available clinical spaces in the building became makeshift ED wards.
This response relieved the critical pressure that the ED was under, and within 24 hours wait times reduced and the code yellow was called off.
The staff, as always, were brilliant. It was an enormously challenging period, but they got through it.
It again exemplifies the commitment Mildura Base Public Hospital is earnestly making to maximise patient care.
What it also exposes, though, are several long-held concerns.
The first is that the pandemic is not over.
The second is that flu season is arriving.
And the third is that our hospital’s accident and emergency department is far too small for our population.
That’s why we need a new hospital.
Our health system is bruised and battered, and the challenges of 2022 are far from over.
Having an inadequately sized ED, and a critical shortage of GPs in the region, are compounding these challenges.
Mildura Base Public Hospital has made the best of a difficult situation this week, and will continue to need our help going forward.
It’s important that people are being vigilant with their health, and don’t allow themselves to get sicker than they need to be.
If you can’t access a GP, consider the Nurse on Call service or talk to your local pharmacist.
There are also privately billing (non-Medicare) online GP services that can be suitable, although they do attract out- of-pocket costs.
And of course, consider a flu shot before winter.
We all have a role to play in protecting our health system.
