The island’s nurses are reportedly stretched to their limits, as they work to provide care to the increasing number of persons turning up at hospitals with influenza and dengue related symptoms.

The Nurses Association of Jamaica says most of the wards at hospitals are admitting more than one hundred patients per month, with signs and symptoms of dengue.

And the situation has been compounded by the scores of persons seeking care for influenza, during the flu season.

Nurses Association President, Carmen Johnson says nurses have had to be doubling up whether they want to work overtime or not, to ensure patient care.

She says the increased workload is coming at a time, when the public sector has lost some four hundred and sixty-three nurses up to October this year, and the five hundred nurses who left the system last year have not been replaced.

Ms. Johnson says, nurses are now complaining about burn-out.

The NAJ President is imploring persons to visit their health centres as soon as they experience symptoms of dengue or influenza, and not wait and watch the symptoms.

She is also urging community members to assist in the fight against dengue.