When Pan Mei'er first arrived in a hospital in Shangbai, a place known as the "leprosy village" due to the big number of leprosy patients, she was shocked and disturbed.

"They were cheering because someone finally came to their help," Pan says. "I smelled a strong choking smell, and I felt dizzy with a feeling of nausea; later I knew that it was the smell of leprosy-induced ulcer, and I was determined that I should help them with all I could."

Now, 23 years later, Pan has become head of the nursing department in the Shangbai Hospital in Deqing county, of East China's Zhejiang province. But her dedication to help the leprosy patients has never waned.

Pan has been calling on the public to pay more attention to leprosy sufferers in China.

"I want more public attention for leprosy patients because they need more care, both physically and emotionally," she says.

Leprosy is an infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. It has existed for at least 3,000 years. In Shangbai village, the disease has impacted many people, with some already disabled due to long-term infection: some have deformed hands, legs and noses, and some have poor eyesight. Early treatment can prevent severe disabilities, Pan says.

In Zhejiang province, there are about 3,000 patients who survived the disease after medical treatment. Though the disease has been eradicated in most cities and counties, some localities still see cases of infection. Each year, fewer than 20 infections are reported in Zhejiang, and the number is decreasing, Pan says.

Pan came to Shangbai Hospital, hoping she could bring some help to the patients there.

"When I arrived, they were so happy that some even clapped with their barely complete hands," Pan says.

In the hospital, many patients are either far away from their family members, or simply did not get married because of their conditions.

"They are lonely, and many regard me as their daughter," she says. "When it comes to leprosy patients, psychological comfort is as important as medical treatment, because many patients carry a sense of misanthropy."