Xia Zhonghui

'Barefoot' doctor

Xia Zhonghui, 67, is no stranger to walking long distances in rural, mountainous or moorland areas. At age 14, she spent four months traveling from the southwestern province of Sichuan to Saibidun, a remote village in Baicheng county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. She had been orphaned three years earlier and was seeking a new home.

After turning 25, Xia walked an average 12 kilometers a day to undertake training as a "barefoot doctor", or field nurse, in the county seat for two years. In the 1970s, Saibidun faced an acute shortage of medical resources, so many illnesses and injuries went untreated.

"The elderly and sick had to endure chronic pain," she said. "It was heart-wrenching for me to see their suffering but be incapable of easing their pain."

After finishing her training, Xia returned to Saibidun and started treating local residents via home visits.

There was no such thing as a clinic at the time, so Xia carried a medication box as she shuttled between households.

"The relatives of sick residents went to the loudspeaker in the village square and broadcast their request. Upon hearing it, I would head to their homes," she said.

In the vast wastes of Xinjiang, houses are dispersed over a wide area, so Xia covered at least 20 km a day.

"I can't remember how many shoes I wore out. I bought a bicycle a few years later, but it broke because I used it so often," she said. Working in a harsh environment with scant resources only fueled her passion to hone her medical skills and healthcare knowledge.

"I saw trust in the eyes of my fellow villagers, which was the most valuable asset I possessed," she said, adding that further training on management of chronic illnesses and home-based care boosted her abilities as a rural medic.

Over the years, she received a number of awards from the local government and social organizations to honor her contribution to healthcare and the good example she set.

"I am glad the awards prompted the government to fund the construction of a clinic in 2008," she said, adding that the clinic has been refurbished with an upgraded diagnostic room, an observation unit and a pharmacy.

"I am excited and motivated to see these changes. The new facilities provided great convenience for my work and I am glad to see local residents reaping concrete benefits from the equipment," she said.

Xia retired in February, handing over the clinic to her trainee.

In her 40-plus years as a rural medic, she treated more than 600,000 patients and donated about 280,000 yuan ($40,000) to cover poor families' medical costs and living expenses.