With a wealth of motor sport events and forecast warmer weather, combined with alcohol consumption, Mildura Base Hospital has rallied additional resources, including on-call staff, to cater for the expected extra demand.

Hospital emergency department senior medical officer Dr John Russell yesterday said patients attending the hospital had a potentially long wait this weekend until they could be treated by staff.

He said more serious patients would be given priority to those with minor complaints.

“That’s why we have a triage system which is French for the sorting of patients,” he said.

“Category one to three patients can expect to be seen quite quickly, however the non-urgent category four to five patients could sit for hours if we have a busy day.

“We only need one major incident to set us back, but we do expect a very busy period.”

For more of this story, purchase your copy of Friday’s Sunraysia Daily 10/04/2009.