Rural doctor devotes decades to safeguarding health of entire village

Wang Ju prepares herbal medicine in Lianghe Village, Lianghekou Town, Zigui County of Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 15, 2026. Wang Ju, a 59-year-old village doctor in Lianghe Village of Lianghekou Town in Zigui County, has spent nearly four decades providing health care for the entire village, despite standing just 1.28 meters tall and weighing only 32 kilograms due to dwarfism.

In his youth, he was cared for by fellow villagers, which inspired him to study medicine and give back to his community. After graduating from a health school, he returned to the village to take on basic medical care and health services.

Wang Ju prepares herbal medicine at the clinic in Lianghe Village, Lianghekou Town, Zigui County of Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Homes in Lianghe Village are scattered across the mountains and roads are rugged. Initially, Wang made house calls barely on foot. Later he commissioned a specially downsized motorcycle with a frame only 50 centimeters high, tailored to his stature.

Wang Ju (R) explains medication instructions to a patient at the clinic in Lianghe Village, Lianghekou Town, Zigui County of Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

Over the past 38 years, Wang has made over 6,000 home visits, with four such motorcycles and more than 100 pairs of shoes worn out. For him, being a doctor is not just a profession, but a daily commitment to safeguarding the health of the people who once took care of him. 

Wang Ju (R) takes a villager's blood pressure at the villager's home in Lianghe Village, Lianghekou Town, Zigui County of Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

(Xinhua)