Zhang Qingguo lends a hand to a leprosy patient in Ningyang county, Shandong province. [Photo/ iqilu.com]

He has even encountered misunderstandings from his patients' families, who have imputed their deaths to Zhang's poor medical skills and lack of care.

But despite all these adversities, Zhang has continued to fight for his patients. He not only commutes to the village every three days to provide treatment, he also attends to their needs in many other ways.

He often brings groceries or food he has cooked to give to his charges, helps them repair their houses, drives them to hospital and even gives them haircuts, as well as giving his ostracized patients all the emotional support he can.

This unremitting effort has paid off, as most of his patients have recovered. He now has only four patients left, when previously there were more than 60 in the village.

Moreover, thanks to Zhang and many other devoted medical staff, nowadays leprosy patients do not have to be quarantined for treatment.

The doctor's extraordinary devotion has almost won him the eternal gratitude of his patients.

Cui Yidong, a patient of seventy-eight years old, said that without Zhang it would have been impossible for him to live to this age.

Another patient said that there is no doctor like Zhang who is both professional and considerate.