A farmer who amputated his own diseased leg is worried that as attention to his plight wanes, he may face death again, Beijing News reported on Monday.

Zheng Yanliang, 47, a farmer in Qingyuan county, Hebei province, was diagnosed with arterial thrombosis of the lower limbs in early 2012. His disease quickly deteriorated with his legs beginning to fester and becoming flyblown. He cut off his almost necrotic right leg with a knife and a hacksaw on April 14, 2012, at home after local hospitals either refused to take him in or demanded exorbitant fees.

After his story went viral on the Internet, Zheng drew much attention from society and was accepted by a local hospital that provided him with free medical treatment, and he also received donations from people all over the country.

However, as time passes, Zheng worries he will be forgotten if the media pays less attention to him and that he may face death again, although he is in stable condition at present.

Zheng's medical needs are long-term and require a large amount of money for his further treatment, and his new rural cooperative medical insurance cannot support that.

Wang Zhen, an expert specializing in urban and rural medical security, said the support capabilities of the new rural cooperative medical insurance must be greatly improved.