Doctor Liang Yijian talks to one of his patients who suffers from scoliosis at No 3 Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan province. [Photo by Huang Zhiling/China Daily]

Liang Yijian

Liang Yijian is an orthopedist at No 3 Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

He has treated more than 1,000 patients with severe scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is classified as a severe condition, and potentially damaging to a patient's lungs and heart.

Liang inserts metal bars into the body of patients to form a brace that helps straighten their backs. In this way, he treated many patients who were told by other hospitals that there was no cure. As many of the patients are from rural and less developed areas, who could not afford the medical cost, Liang has helped raise money for their treatment.