The Southern Health Board, the second largest in the State, said yesterday that the nurses' strike was causing severe disruption throughout the area.
The strike had led to the cancellation of all non-emergency hospital admissions, day-care services for the elderly, routine out-patient appointments, and nursing services for people with a mental disability, a spokesman said.
While emergency treatment would continue to be provided, patients had been asked once again to contact their own doctors in non-emergency situations.
The health board said the local strike committee had reiterated that it would respond to emergencies, but added that at the Cork University Hospital the number of nurses on duty at weekends would normally be up to 160; yesterday only between 55 and 60 were providing cover.
The total number of beds at the hospital is 481, but yesterday 188 were vacant. Normally 10 surgical theatres would be operating, but this has been reduced to one. At St Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, 92 of the 125 beds were vacant yesterday and the number of nurses on duty had been reduced from 76 to 30.
At Mallow General Hospital, 38 of the normal 70 beds in use were vacant and nursing cover had been reduced from 20 to eight day and eight night-shift nurses with two on standby for additional emergency cover.
Similar situations were reported for the Erinville Hospital, St Finbarr's Hospital and Tralee General Hospital, where only 56 of the normal complement of 155 nurses were providing cover.
In the general section of Tralee General Hospital, 88 of the 274 beds were vacant yesterday, as were five of the 50 psychiatric beds.
At Bantry General Hospital, 14 of the normal nursing staff of 24 were working and 33 of the 68 acute beds were vacant.