No elective surgery will be performed at Millicent for almost a month over the festive season.

The Millicent Hospital operating theatre will be closed between December 13 and January 10.

The equivalent Naracoorte facility will not function between December 23 and January 3.

A statement from Limestone Coast Local Health Network has explained the reasons for the seasonal closure.

“As in previous years, Millicent and Naracoorte Hospital will not schedule any elective surgeries during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period,” the LCLHN statement said.

“Every year at hospitals across the country, fewer non-urgent elective surgeries are scheduled for Christmas, Easter, public holidays and school holidays as patients prefer to schedule their surgery outside of these periods and staff often take leave around this time.

“We’d like to assure the community that accident and emergency departments will remain open across our hospitals in the South East during the festive period.”

It is customary for deep cleaning and maintenance to be undertaken while the operating theatres are closed.