The man accused of attempting to murder neurosurgeon Dr Michael Wong at Footscray Hospital last year will stand trial in November.
The trial of Kareem Al-Salami, who allegedly knifed the head of neurosurgery in the back and stabbed him repeatedly as the doctor arrived for work, will start in the Supreme Court on November 23.
Al-Salami, 49, has pleaded not guilty to 26 charges, including attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury and assaulting other hospital staff on February 18, 2014.
The Sunshine North man will undergo psychiatric assessment to determine if he was mentally impaired at the time.
Al-Salami had been a patient of Dr Wong..
He allegedly stabbed Dr Wong in the back with a 19 centimetre knife as he was walking through the hospital foyer about 8.20am.
Police allege he then stabbed and slashed Dr Wong to the face, chest, hands, forearms, torso, stomach and legs between 25 and 30 times.
Three people tried to drag Dr Wong away but Mr Al-Salami allegedly threatened them with a knife before stabbing Dr Wong in the neck.
Al-Salami was arrested and Dr Wong was rushed away for life-saving surgery.
He lost his entire supply of blood over the next 10 hours, with between five and six litres replaced via transfusions, as his colleagues worked to save his life.
Western Health acting chief executive officer Russell Harrison said at the time that the staff and public did “a remarkable job” in getting Dr Wong to safety.
Benjamin Millar, with The Age
