There's a new doctor in town – who arrived just one day before the flood cut the Xitianpo community off from the outside world.

Dozens of small villages and communities, built on top of embankments in the lower lands of the Mengwa Flood Retention Area of eastern China's Anhui Province, became isolated islands in the middle of the floodwaters.

This comes after the Wangjiaba flood-control facility opened its sluice gates Monday to take in floodwater, the 16th time in Mengwa's history, acting as a flood buffer zone to store excess waters from the Huaihe river.

Tan Yuan, the only medic stationed on this tiny island amid the flooding, has become residents' go-to health expert.

"Come back after taking the new pills. We'll see if they work," Tan told a visiting villager. Tan prescribed pills for the resident as checking his blood pressure.

"Access has been difficult due to the flood. Doctors in the village need to take a boat to get here. So the county hospital sent me here to take care of residents' health," said Tan.

He would take note of each individual and keep record of every patient's symptoms, medicines he or she has been taking if there is, and whether the villager needs any new treatment.

"I took the blood pressure of a man called Guo Zhanghui. His medicine might not be working for him," Tan told his colleagues who brought him some common drugs he had requested.

Trapped on the embankment, yet with a vital job to do, the doctor has been keeping tabs on over 50 residents' health. Every morning, villagers come to see him for regular check-ups. It took only three days for the newly graduated physician to recognize all of them.

"There are many Guos in this community, it took me a while to figure out which is which," the doctor smiled.

"At least this offers comfort for them, knowing that someone is here to provide proper medical care and is concerned about their health," said Tan.

About two fifths of Xitianpo's residents are above 65 years old. Some are 
illiterate and some others may have amnesia. Many suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and other conditions requiring extra attention.

It has rained alot over the past week. Tan walked in rain to visit and help a patient with emphysema inhale oxygen.

"My husband had a stroke, and I'm crippled. They take good care of us and visit us everyday," said local patient Guo Huadi of Tan and village leaders.

There was not much gas left, only enough to last about three days. Tan asked a village official to ship another tank soon, along food and other daily supplies for the residents on the island.

As more youngsters choose to work in cities, the older ones have become what are called "left-behind" elderly. Tan is like a son for them, but to his own parents, the 25-year-old gave only vague details about what he had been assigned for.

"I don't want to tell them about it yet, mainly because I fear they might worry about me," he paused, adding, "I only told them I was going to help the flood control work, but never anticipated that the situation would be like this. I came here on a bus with only three shirts with me."

Tan will be staying with the little community until the waters recede. No one knows exactly when that will be, perhaps in two weeks or longer. Until then, the young doctor remains a key lifeline for Xitianpo's vulnerable residents.