A Chinese surgeon has been hailed a hero after fighting through sleep deprivation to complete seven operations without a break.
Physician Dai Yu became an overnight celebrity after completing a gruelling seven operations, then - instead of going home to sleep - he took an accidental nap on a ten-minute break so he could complete three more.
Dr. Dai Yu shot to fame after he was photographed asleep on the hospital floor, having unknowingly given in to his exhaustion.
The physician is the deputy director at the Orthopaedic Department of Longgang Central Hospital in Shenzhen, southern China, local news outlets reported.
He and his colleagues had ten operations to complete in a day to give their patients the best possible chance of recovery.
While details of the operations themselves are not known, Dr. Dai Yu reacted humbly to the praise the picture of him sleeping garnered on social media, telling reporters that he wasn't a hero; he was simply doing his job.
The picture was taken by a colleague after Dr. Dai Yu sat down for ten minutes after completing seven operations. He had only taken this small break while the anaesthetist prepared for the surgery.
This happened at around 5 pm, and afterwards, Dr. Dai Yu did not leave his station in the operating theatre until 9 pm.
People were quick to commend him for his dedication on social media.
One wrote: "Salute - thanks for your effort."
Another added, "Chinese doctors are already the best! Well done."
The doctor said that he was aiming to not only give his patients the best possible chance of recovery, but to eventually perfect his skills to the point where they would become textbook examples for others in the industry.
However, while there is no doubt that his dedication is admirable, the dangers of exhaustion in this field can't be overstated.