Young doctor brings hope to isolated villagers

In the remote town of Yangla, nestled over 3,000 meters above sea level in the mountains of Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, 32-year-old doctor Nasheng is dedicated to providing healthcare to more than 5,400 villagers.

Nasheng graduated in Tibetan medicine from Qinghai University in Qinghai province. Her passion for the field was ignited not only by a childhood fascination with traditional healing but also by the healthcare challenges faced by her fellow villagers.

"I saw how difficult it was for my family to access medical treatment in inland areas — long journeys, language barriers, and cultural differences made it even harder," she said, noting that many elderly villagers speak only Tibetan.

This motivated her to study Tibetan medicine and return to serve her hometown.

When she arrived at the Yangla town health center in September 2021, she was struck by the isolation of the area. Although her hometown of Yunling is in the same county, getting to Yangla takes a grueling seven- to eight-hour drive.

"I have to cross Baima Snow Mountain and follow a winding path along the Jinsha River," she recalled.

Her accommodation is a modest room inside the inpatient ward. "Other than a barbecue restaurant, there are no other entertainment options in town," she said. "But despite the challenges, I've never thought of giving up."

As a young doctor at the health center, Nasheng has gained invaluable hands-on experience with each patient she treats.

She clearly remembers her first patient — an elderly man with severely deformed joints — for whom she performed her first joint injection under her mentor's guidance.

"That moment made me realize just how much I still needed to learn in order to truly help people," she said.

Expanding access to care

Although Yangla town has a small population, its villages are spread across more than 1,000 square kilometers, often requiring several hours of travel by car to reach each one.

To improve access to healthcare, the center organizes mobile free clinics in different villages every month, supported by a dedicated team of over 20 staff members.

On her first mobile clinic visit, Nasheng and her team traveled five hours by car to reach a remote village. "We ran into a mudslide along the way and ended up carrying all the medical supplies over the mountain on foot," she recalled.

During one of these clinics, Nasheng treated an elderly patient with acupuncture. After the session, the patient expressed a desire for continued care, saying, "It's hard to get treatment again."

This experience made Nasheng aware that even though the village had a health station, many elderly residents still struggled to reach it due to the area's vastness. "What if there were another station here?" she wondered.

After submitting a proposal, and with support from the local government, a basic health station was established in June 2022.

"Now the service station has moved into a new building, and a village doctor is seeing patients there," Nasheng said.

Throughout her practice, Nasheng has noticed that most of the residents she treats are middle-aged or elderly. Living at high altitude, they often carry heavy loads downhill, which can lead to health issues such as rheumatism, frozen shoulder, and joint pain.

"Herbal baths can help ease some of the pain, but we didn't have the proper facilities before," Nasheng said.

After discussing the need with the health center director, a room for herbal baths was set up in 2023, expanding the range of treatment options available to local villagers.

In addition to treating patients, Nasheng continues to advance her medical skills. In 2024, she pursued further training at the Tibetan Traditional Hospital in the Xizang autonomous region, where she specialized in therapies such as bloodletting and Tibetan stick therapy — a method that involves tapping painful areas or acupuncture points with a special stick to relieve discomfort.

"Bloodletting is effective for conditions like gout and varicose veins, while stick therapy can help with frozen shoulder and nodules," she explained.

During her time in Yangla, Nasheng has built a strong connection with the locals. One moment that stood out was when an 80-year-old villager gave her some loquats as a gift.

"Fruit is scarce here — I've only ever seen apples and walnuts," Nasheng said. "She had picked them from a town at a lower altitude, knowing we rarely get a break or the chance to buy things from outside."

During last year's Spring Festival, villagers invited the medical team, who were still on duty, to join their celebrations. "We gathered around the stove, dancing to music — it was the most authentic Tibetan-style feast," Nasheng said with a smile.

Looking ahead, she hopes to continue her studies. "I want to pursue a master's degree and learn more about acupuncture techniques," she said. "But no matter what, I'll always come back — this is my home."