"Many were not initially informed about the potential for people-to-person transmission, and even now we don't have enough protective gear, test kits, and other supplies," one Wuhan doctor told the South China Morning Post on January 24.
There were also too few testing kits for patients, making it very hard to distinguish a coronavirus case from any other flu or cold.
Patients in Wuhan came to consider getting access to a testing kit as being like winning the lottery.
Some hospitals have been pleading for donations of supplies from ordinary people. A social media post from The Wuhan Children's Hospital, cited by the BBC, said simply: "Medical supplies are in short supply - help!"
Some staff complained on social media that hospitals were even running out of food and drink.