Farmer who amputated leg will get free treatment

A farmer who amputated his diseased leg is now in stable condition and will get free treatment, Hebei Daily reported on Monday.

Zheng Yanliang, a villager from Qingyuan county, Hebei province, was diagnosed with arterial thrombosis of the lower limbs in early 2012. His disease quickly deteriorated with his legs beginning to fester and maggots were crawling out.

He cut off his almost necrotic right leg with a knife and a hacksaw on April 14, 2012 after local hospitals either refused to take him in or demanded exorbitant fees.

He was taken to No 2 hospital of Baoding, a city 150 km northeast of provincial capital Shijiazhuang, on Friday afternoon for medical observation and further treatment after his story went viral on the Internet.

Ge Changqing, director of the hospital, said that all of the amputee's hospital expenses would be taken care of.

Zheng's other leg is also in a terrible state and his left foot is a festering mass of sores.

But Zheng is now conscious and has stable vital signs, according to the report.

Xinhua contributed to the story