Non-urgent surgery has been cancelled at Mount Gambier Hospital and a re-start date has not been given.

The temporary ban on elective surgery extends to all hospitals across South Australia.

The SE Voice asked departmental officials about the number of affected patients at Mount Gambier but this figure was not available.

SA Health chief executive Dr Robyn Lawrence said hospitals are continuing to experience significant demand this week, resulting in very busy emergency departments.

“To manage the demand, our local hospital networks have opened all available hospital beds, maximised out of hospital care options and paused Category 3 and some Category 2 elective surgery in metropolitan and country hospitals,” Dr Lawrence said.

“Category 1 and Paediatric urgent Category 2 elective surgeries are continuing as planned.

“Many hospitals are also being impacted by the large amount of respiratory illness in our community, in particular COVID and flu, which is also creating staff shortages.

“We currently have more than 140 patients in hospital with COVID and flu, and our metropolitan hospitals have reported around 270 staff currently off sick with COVID.”

COVID is widespread across the region with 20 cases reported at Boneham Aged Care Services in Millicent.