Self Amputate
© Sky NewsThe story has attracted widespread media attention in China.
Hefei - A Chinese farmer could not afford hospital bills to have his leg amputated after suffering an arterial embolism, so used a metal saw and knife to amputate his leg himself. Zheng Yanliang amputated the leg in April this year but the story has just emerged.

Chinese media have just covered the sad tale of Mr Zheng, a Chinese farmer and factory worker from Boading in Hefei Province.

Mr Zheng first started to get pains in his right leg in January 2012. After several visits to the hospital, he was diagnosed with arterial embolism, with amputation the only recourse. His family had no more money to pay for visits to hospital, so Mr Zheng was discharged and given just three months to live.

Neighbors reported hearing his agonized screams at night, local media report. And his wife said the painkillers he had been given did not give him any relief.

The agony he suffered made Mr Zheng decide to amputate the leg himself this April. He wrapped a piece of wood in cloth and put it into his mouth to bite on and then began cutting off his leg with a metal saw and knife.

His wife has said when she found him, he'd managed to cut off his leg and four of his teeth had been dislodged due to the pressure caused biting on the hunk of wood. Mr Zheng managed to cut his leg off about seven inches or so from the hip but the metal saw he used snapped in two from the excessive force used.

The wound from the amputation has now healed, but Mr Zheng has again been diagnosed with arterial embolism in the left leg. An appeal for funding so he can have his left leg amputated in hospital has resulted in a Shanghai surgeon offering to amputate his remaining leg for free and cover costs of any additional medical treatments.