ChineseToday | Squatting doctor stands tall in northwest China-Xinhua

SHACHE, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Li Chuangye cannot walk on his feet like most people. Instead, he moves forward in a squatting position, lifting his feet in turn with his hands, and swinging his small body, one twist after another.

This 38-year-old doctor hails from a poor family in Henan Province in central China. When Li was seven months old, he contracted polio, a disease that once posed a major health threat to children. China launched a nationwide anti-polio immunization campaign in the 1960s and made huge progress. It was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization in 2000, but sporadic cases still affected unlucky children like Li in the late 1980s.

As a result, he is paralyzed from the waist down, and his height is less than half that of an ordinary person. Li's childhood was marked by a continuous struggle with illness and hardship.

Li Chuangye (C) and a nurse render medical care to a senior with a leg injury in a village of Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

A villager (L) treats Li Chuangye (R) with sliced melon after he rendered medical care for a family member with disabilities at her home in a village of Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Li Chuangye (R) checks eyes of a senior in Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Li Chuangye talks with a patient at his clinic in Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

He began primary school at 16 and progressed quickly, skipping several grades through intensive study. He set a clear goal: to study medicine. In 2013, Li was admitted to a medical college, and three years later, he was enrolled in the clinical medicine program of Henan University.

Now, in Bexkant, a remote town on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Li runs a clinic as a certified physician, becoming a trusted healer for his neighbors.

Li Chuangye (L) and a nurse are pictured on the way to visit a senior in Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Li Chuangye stretches his body outside his clinic after attending several patients in succession in Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Li Chuangye (L) measures blood pressure for a senior in Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Li Chuangye moves while squatting in Bexkant Town, Shache County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Li's clinic covers an area of 300 square meters and features a consultation area, an infusion room, a pharmacy and a sign at the entrance reading "24-Hour Medical Service."

Li often attends to patients late into the night and frequently visits surrounding villages to provide medical care to residents who have difficulty traveling. He also offers medical care free of charge for the disabled and at half-price for the impoverished.

After his story gained attention online, he declined all donations from netizens. "Helping people with disabilities is like helping my former self. Now that I am in a position to help others, I should do more," Li said.