hostpitals empty

Hospitals will be empty of non-urgent cases for virtually a week because of the two-day strike by junior doctors this week.
District health boards (DHBs) around the country placed advertisements in newspapers today asking the public to keep hospital emergency departments for emergencies.
More than 2000 house surgeons and registrars will strike from 7am tomorrow to 7am on Thursday. There was no movement in the stalemate yesterday and unless there is a breakthrough today the strike is expected to go ahead.
Many hospitals have emptied out non acute cases from late last week ahead of the strike and because Friday is Anzac Day only limited surgery will be done on Thursday, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.
"Your DHB apologises for any inconvenience and distress which may result from the need to postpone dozens of elective surgery procedures, and more than 2000 outpatient appointments," Capital & Coast District Health Board said in an advertisement today.
The advertisements asks patients to see a general practitioner if their problem is non-urgent.
Many hospitals are not accepting woman in labour.
Counties Manukau, Auckland and Waitemata DHBs have placed a joint newspaper advertisement.
Six Auckland hospitals and two medical centres would be offering "very limited services," the advertisement said.
DHBs nationwide were also asking anyone with a non-urgent illness to ring Healthline as a first port of call.
Letters were being sent to patients booked for non-urgent surgery and outpatient clinic appointments to let them know if they would be affected.
Health Minister David Cunliffe has lashed out at the junior doctors' union.
He said more than 8000 people would be affected by the strike.
National health spokesman Tony Ryall said he believed the number of patients likely to be affected by the strike would be more than the 8000 Mr Cunliffe had estimated.
The human cost of this "cruel strike" was mounting by the day, Mr Ryall said.
* DHBS lead negotiator David Meates spoke to Sunrise this rmoning.