Neptune, N.J. ? More than 1,300 New Jersey doctors rallied Monday and others closed their offices early to protest rising medical malpractice insurance premiums and pressure state government for help.

Many hospitals reported twice the usual number of patients coming into their emergency departments, mostly with minor injuries, flu and fever. But no major disruptions were reported as the three-day slowdown began and some events were canceled or scaled back because of the space shuttle disaster.

Physicians across the state withheld nonemergency services.

“Virtually all elective procedures, whether they be diagnostic or surgical, were wiped out today,” said Ron Czajkowski, spokesman for the New Jersey Hospital Assn.

Doctors still planned to take buses today from their hospitals to Trenton for a statewide rally and to lobby politicians on Wednesday.

It was not clear how many of the state’s 22,000 doctors participated Monday. But some 700 health care workers and supporters gathered the Jersey Shore Medical Center here carrying signs reading, “Having a Medical Emergency? Try Calling 1-800-LAWYERS” and “New Jersey and MDs: Perfect Together.”

“Not having tort reform included in legislation is like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound to the chest,” emergency physician Dr. Bruce Bonanno told the crowd. “The system’s going to die.”