A Victorian mother says her 20-month-old daughter waited nearly seven hours for emergency treatment after suffering a head injury at Bendigo Health Hospital.

The child reportedly remained covered in blood while the emergency department struggled with an overwhelming number of patients.

Hospital officials have activated a Code Yellow internal emergency response as rising patient admissions continue to strain services.

Bendigo Health says it is now admitting around a dozen more patients each day than at the same time last year, with limited bed availability adding to the pressure.

A small number of non-urgent surgeries have been postponed to free beds for emergency cases, while critical operations continue as planned.

The incident has renewed concerns about emergency department delays and the growing pressure on Victoria’s public health system.