Patients on chronic hemodialysis treatment in the Huayuan People's Hospital.
There are more than 200 patients on chronic hemodialysis in this hospital, where every year more than 40 new people are diagnosed with uremia, a complication of chronic kidney disease.
Two decades of lead and zinc mining in the Hunan province has taken a major toll. The population of the villages, most of who are ethnically Miao, has experienced severe health impacts, like uremia, as a result of heavy metal exposure.