Chinese surgeon called a hero after being pictured sleeping on floor of hospital after 28-hour shift

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health

Get our free Health Check email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

A doctor taking a well-earned rest after 28 hours of emergency surgery has been praised for his diligence by Chinese social media users.

Luo Heng, a surgeon at a hospital in Dingyuan, an area in China’s eastern Anhui province, was pictured curled up asleep on the floor.

He had worked overnight to perform two urgent operations, followed by three more the next day, according to a number of Chinese news sites including those of China Central Television and China Daily.

Pictures of Dr Luo were widely shared on Chinese social network Weibo with beating heart emojis and comments commending his dedication.

However, others pointed out the dangers of doctors working extremely long shifts.

“I admire such dedicated people, but I do not advocate this,” wrote one user on the social network. “My point of view is: rest is good to be able to work better.”

“You can see the effort put into working to give the best outcome for the patient,” wrote another, while a separate user wrote: “They are always worthy of our respect.”

Most Chinese hospitals are run by the government, but there are also private clinics in the country of 1.4 billion.

There are 2.9 million doctors licenced to practise in China, according to 2014 figures published by Statista.