How women won the war of the wards

When Wuhan faced its toughest time in the coronavirus battle, female workers answered the call

A shortage of medical supplies. Overstretched hospital facilities. Close contact with contagious patients. Uncertainty about the way novel coronavirus was transmitted.

Qiao Jie, director of a leading hospital in Beijing, was aware of the challenges ahead when she led a team of predominantly female health workers to Wuhan, Hubei province, in early February to treat patients critically ill with novel coronavirus pneumonia.

But the 56-year-old hadn't anticipated one challenge that many female medics and nurses on the front line of the pandemic fight faced－menstruation.

"While on duty, I would often see nurses in sweat-soaked protective gowns bent over because of menstrual pain," said Qiao, an expert in reproductive health at Peking University Third Hospital and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The shortage of medical workers meant sick leave was not an option. "They had to fight the urge to use the bathroom to save the single-use, full-body protective gear that was then in short supply."

Front-line nurses lacked sanitary pads, tampons and other items to deal with menstruation as the city was at a standstill due to the virus, according to news reports.

The All-China Women's Federation and an affiliated foundation responded by donating feminine hygiene products for front-line workers in February, when the main focuses of donations were food and medical supplies.