Nearly 800 outpatients appointments and 63 elective treatments and procedures have been postponed by the Southern District Health Board because of the junior doctors' strike.
Board interim chief executive Chris Fleming said 75% of the 271 junior doctors working for the board participated in the strike.
It began at 7am yesterday and is due to last until 8am on Friday. All DHBs were affected except for West Coast and Taranaki.
Mr Fleming said 788 outpatient appointments (620 at Dunedin Hospital and 168 at Southland Hospital) and 63 elective treatments and procedures (48 in Dunedin and 15 in Southland Hospital) had to be postponed.
He said he believed the impact of the strike would extend well beyond this week.
''Many patient appointments have already been rescheduled and we'll do our best to continue to accommodate patients affected by the strike.
''But it will take months to make up for the missed clinical time and specialist appointments,'' he said.
Hospitals would remain open during the strike and emergency departments, urgent and acute care services were still being provided,
''We are very pleased with how well the contingency plans in place are going. Patient safety is our priority and our clinical and support staff are providing the best care possible in these circumstances.''
This is the second time the New Zealand Resident Doctors' Association (NZRDA) - the union for resident medical officers or junior doctors - has struck in the past two months.
NZRDA national secretary Deborah Powell said the association thought it had reached an agreement last week, but ''the employers'' were unable to confirm that or make an offer.
Dr Powell said the employers were now considering a proposal tabled last week, and it was hoped an agreement would be confirmed tomorrow.
