The launching ceremony Photo: Courtesy of Gao Gao

A medical TV documentary began filming in Beijing on Monday, Rare Disease Day, in the hopes of raising awareness of the situations of tens of millions of patients suffering from little-known diseases.

Documentary Beyond Every Day comes from the production team behind the hit TV documentary series The Chinese Doctors, which follows nearly 30 medical workers in six hospitals across China and their efforts to treat patients despite various hardships. 

"Health has become a very important topic in our society. The Chinese Doctors had received a great response from audiences, allowing the public to further understand the relationship between doctors and patients and their families," Hu Zhengrong, head of Institute of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said at a launch ceremony for filming.

"As a documentary, I really hope Beyond Every Day will live up to the expectations of audiences," Hu added.

Public data shows that there are about 20 million rare disease patients across the country, half of them children. Patients also struggle with issues such as high medical costs and misunderstandings, and discrimination from the public. 

"I really hope this documentary can attract more people to pay attention to patients who are suffering from rare diseases. Let them be seen and be heard by the public. I hope this documentary can bring about much more positive social values," Zhang Jianzhen, director of The Chinese Doctors,  told media.