A nurse has gone above and beyond her duty when she breast-fed a one-month-old patient during an operation this week in Guangdong, southern China.

The baby girl, named as Wei Wei, was in the middle of a surgery on September 29 when she started crying and wouldn't stop, reported People's Daily Online.

Li Baoxia, who was still lactating, decided to step in and breastfeed the tiny patient, who then calmed down so the surgery could continue. The surgery was successful and the baby is recovering well.

Call of duty: A nurse breast-fed a one-month-old patient in Guangdong, China, to stop her crying during surgery

In recovery: Surgery continued successfully while the nurse breastfed. Wei Wei (above) is now recovering

Grateful: Wei Wei's father (right) thanked nurse Li Baoxia (left) for curing his daughter and breastfeeding her

According to reports, the baby was undergoing a surgery for an anal abscess when she started crying and couldn't stop.

Due to the baby's age and size, only local anaesthesia was used, which meant the baby could still move.

Li Baoxia had just finished a surgery in a neighbouring operating theatre when she heard about the baby's condition from a colleague.

Without hesitation, the nurse stepped in and breastfed the baby to calm her down.

She then continued to breastfeed and hold the baby while the surgery continued.

The heart-warming scene was captured by a member of the medical staff and shared online.

Necessity? Baby Wei Wei started crying in the middle of the surgery but Li Baoxia managed to calm her down

Playing mother: Many Chinese web users applauded the act but some questioned whether she had permission

After the successful surgery, Wei Wei's father was extremely grateful towards the doctor.

He held her hand as he said: 'Thank you! You not only cured my child but also breastfed her. As a father, I cannot thank you enough.'

The father then exclaimed, 'You're an angel nurse.'

That sentiment was echoed by many Chinese web users since the photograph emerged on social media such as Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.

However, many also questioned whether the nurse had the right to breastfeed someone else's baby.