The nurses staged a protest on Tuesday in defiance of appeals from Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Health Minister Rudyard Spencer.

High level of absenteeism

The protest was sparked by a letter from State Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Arthur Williams, which pushed back the implementation date of a reclassification by a further 14 weeks into early next year.

The protests have apparently continued as last night the health ministry confirmed that a high level of absenteeism among nurses had disrupted activities at the island's public hospitals.

The ministry also revealed that it had informed the labour ministry of the nurses' latest action.

Late yesterday, the health ministry said the sector was limping with only emergency cases being dealt with at most hospitals, while elective surgeries were cancelled and non-critical patients discharged.

Most outpatient clinics could only provide limited services, the ministry said.

Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica, would not comment on the matter, saying her organisation was collecting information on the reported sick-out.

Patients affected

The health ministry said senior nursing staff at the affected public hospitals across the island are manning the critical areas of hospital operations.

The ministry said it had received reports that some primary health-care facilities were also affected.

The showdown between nurses and the Government could still continue today with the prospect of an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Labour.