(Yicai Global) Jan. 22 -- HaoDaifu, a Chinese healthcare platform that allows doctors to make extra cash in their spare time as online consultants, had 170,000 registered doctors as of the end of last year, with 60,000 of them already receiving an income through working via the platform.

The three highest paid doctors on the medical platform, operated by Beijing-based Hudong Feng Technology Ltd., receive an income of CNY1.39 million (USD217,000), CNY1 million and CNY960,000, respectively, founder Hang Wang said in a press briefing.

Stricter regulations and anti-corruption efforts in the sector prevent hospitals and physicians from profiting from the mark-up of drug prices at the start of last year and have led to doctors looking further afield for additional incomes, such as online medical platforms like HaoDaifu.

The firm gradually introduced payments for physicians on HaoDaifu in the second quarter of last year so that doctors would attach great importance to their levels of service.

However, the platform has received more complaints from patients following the implementation of payments, Wang said.

In the peak period of July to August, there were as many as 1,800 complaints a day, mainly relating to two aspects. Firstly, doctors responded too slowly with patients often wait 24 hours or more for consultation. Secondly, doctors provided responses deemed too short or simple. Some patients would patients upload several examination reports and write up to one thousand words describing their afflictions, only to receive the response: Please come to the hospital.