A Central Victorian mother says her toddler's "traumatic" wait for stitches for a head wound stretched to almost seven hours as the hospital struggled with a surge in patients.Rykie Yates said she took her 20-month-old daughter Evangeline to Bendigo Health late last month after she split her head open on a fireplace.She said when they arrived at the major regional hospital, it was in a state of "absolute bedlam"."It was absolutely packed," she said "The corridor was full … there were stretchers lined up along the wall."The staff were clearly stressed and run off their feet and treating people wherever there was room."Ms Yates said her daughter "screamed and screamed" during the wait and eventually both were covered in blood."At that point, I scooped her up and barged into the waiting area and … demanded help."She said the staff were amazing and that she did not blame them for the wait."They supported me as a traumatised mother