Health Minister Daniel Andrews praised the hospital for treating more patients during the 2008-09 financial year than in the 2007-08 period.

Mr Andrews said Mount Alexander Hospital had met targets including: Going on bypass 2.6 per cent of the time, well inside the 3 per cent target; Treating 100 per cent of Category I emergency department patients within the recommended time; Treating 82 per cent of Category 2 ED patients within the recommended time, exceeding the 80 per cent target; Treating 100 per cent of urgent elective surgery patients within the recommended time; and Treating 92 per cent of non-urgent elective patients within the recommended time, exceeding the 90 per cent target.

Mr Andrews said hospitals throughout the state were kept busy in the past financial year.

“Hospitals admitted 1,420,788 patients in 2008-09 an increase of 27,608 people, or 2 per cent, compared with the previous year. Total bed days increased by 32,617 days,” he said.

“More than 19,000 extra patients attended emergency departments in May and June this year - an 8.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year - as the impact of swine flu spread through the community.

“Hospital staff did a tremendous job coping with the increased demand and I want to thank them for their efforts. More than 1,355,400 patients attended 24-hour emergency departments in 2008-09.”