Just over 50 MBPH staff were forced into isolation as Victoria entered its fifth lockdown and 20 Bendigo Health staff volunteered to travel the four-and-a-half hour drive up the Calder Highway and lend a helping hand.

"Bendigo Health were able to release five staff members at a time and the first lot have just finished a week with us," a MBPH staff member said.

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"They arrived last week and are doing one week shifts. We will see how things are going at the end of this week and determine if we need their continued support."

The reinforcement of healthcare staff came through a partnership between the two city's hospitals and Swan Hill District Health also sent seven staff to support MBPH from July 15.

"We have a great partnership with Bendigo Health and it was just a matter of putting in a call to their management and they then put word out to their staff to see if any of them were willing to come up to Mildura to help out and the response was amazing," the spokesperson said.

"It was simply amazing. To think these people were willing to travel to Mildura to support our team just goes to show you what a great partnership we have with Bendigo Health.

"They have really made it a lot easier to manage our staff shortages and we can't thank them enough."

Bendigo Health is assisting in the region's response to the current COVID outbreak and supporting Mildura with staff.

In addition to the clinical staff, including Emergency Department staff, Bendigo Health has also sent about 15 staff providing COVID-testing assistance in the Sunraysia region.

The testing staff are expected to remain until the end of the week and the support of the clinical staff will be reviewed on demand.

"Thank you to our staff who have taken time to go to Mildura," a Bendigo Health spokesperson said.

"This reinforces the great partnership we have with hospitals in the Loddon Mallee region."

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