Shuai Xiaoyun, a 41-year-old doctor in Qituo Village in Apengjiang, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, has safeguarded the health and well-being of the locals for almost two decades.

The village was hit by heavy snowfall last week, which resulted in layers of snow and ice covering the roads.

Shuai knew this would trouble those seeking treatments, so she visited her patients on foot and offered her services door-to-door.

"I cannot ignore the villagers' illnesses and pain just because of reasons like the road is hard to walk on or that I want to spend time celebrating the Spring Festival holiday," said Shuai.

In the 19 years since she has worked in the village, Shuai has spent almost all of her Spring Festival holidays in the clinic. She is on standby all around the clock and often has to go out on duty during night times.

"Working as a rural doctor means that you are here for the hardship and challenge," said Shuai.

A graduate from a junior college of Western medicine in 1995, Shuai initially worked away from Qituo at a pharmacy in the city of Chongqing.

As she grew homesick over the years, she eventually decided to move to Apengjiang in 1997 and opened a small shop in the township.

After learning how difficult it was for the villagers of Qituo to seek proper medical treatment due to the lack of doctors, Shuai wanted to help the place where she grew up in with her medical expertise.

Putting her thoughts into action she became a maternal and child health care worker as well as the contracted family physician for all 963 villagers in 393 households.

Over the years, Shuai has traversed every corner of the village.

She won the hearts of the villagers with her compassion and professionalism and they treated her as their own daughter and sister.

"Shuai Xiaoyun is very considerate and patient when talking with us. We all love her very much and treat her like a relative," said Zhang Yugui, a resident of Qituo.

"We are not family by blood but we are as close as a family," said Shuai, "I will continue working as a doctor in the village and provide treatments whenever a need arises."

At present, Shuai is also in charge of 14 major and over 40 minor public health services in the village, such as the establishment of health records, chronic disease management, health education, maternal and child health management, and traditional Chinese medicine services.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)