Taranaki DHB says five days of rolling junior doctor strikes will place significant strain on hospital resource.
Resident Medical Officers (RMOs), or junior doctors, who are part of the New Zealand Resident Doctor Association started the strike at 8am on Monday. The strike will finish on Saturday at 8am.
Taranaki DHB is urging people to take charge of their health, or face lengthy delays for non-urgent care.
Chief operations officer Gillian Campbell says the strike puts both Taranaki Base and Hawera Hospital under significant strain if people treat its emergency departments like an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff.
"Our hospitals are already busy so we're asking people to please help us out and be sensible about their health care needs by choosing the right care, from the right place at the right time."