In war against Covid... Female medical staff fighting menstrual pain, awry cycles

JAMMU: To care for an increasing number of patients amidst the risk of contracting the virus, is undeniably a daunting task for the medical staff at the hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir. But did we forget that for women at the frontline, there is an additional issue of menstruation?
The female medical staff, enduring a monthly cycle of bleeding that comes along with excruciating pain, headaches, mood swings, bloating, fatigue, trouble sleeping, and so on, is going an extra mile in their fight to combat COVID19. The younger female staff is more so.
“We are so overworked and stressed, that the period pain becomes negligible at times,” says Dr Sanjogita, posted at GMC Jammu as Casualty Medical Officer, who continued to work through her unusually long periods.
When asked how they manage, Kamlesh Kumari, a nurse in the isolation ward, says “Karna padta hai”.
She is on her feet for at least 12 hours at a stretch for her night duty, but did not request once for an exchange of duty when menstruating as she has learnt to adjust to by far the most demanding times of her profession.
The female healthcare professionals along with their colleagues are laboring round-the-clock to test, treat, and look after the patients, while also dealing with an invisible personal struggle of managing the recurring discomfort and maintaining feminine hygiene which have been a taboo topic for years, rarely discussed.
“At times, wearing Protective Personal Equipment (PPEs) in sweltering heat, cramps, dehydration and immense work takes a toll on us. One might be able to temporarily reduce the pain by a tablet of Meftal-Spas, but nothing much can be done about heavy bleeding, genital rashes and infections, staining clothes, and that we often have to wear same sanitary pad for hours. Thankfully we have bathrooms here,” mentions a medico.
Moreover, the drastic change in lifestyle during the pandemic plus the work pressure is having a drastic impact on their menstrual cycle, accentuating their ordeal.
“The periods have gone erratic. For the first time, I was bleeding for 10 days. Some of my colleagues missed it, some got it days after the due date, and few got it twice in a month. And yet here we are, working to curb the spread of deadly coronavirus,” says a nurse.
Dr Sanjogita remarks, “We are managing this personal challenge somehow, besides performing our regular and COVID-19 mitigation duties. At present, our only focus is to do justice to our duty, to our patients.”