Good Doctor Online Denies Rumors of 50% Layoffs and Launches New Recruitment Drive Amid IPO Filing
Yesterday, a user verified as a NetEase editor and journalist published an article titled “Haodf Online Exposed for Large-Scale Layoffs After National Day Holiday, Potentially Affecting Up to 400 Employees!” on Maimai, sending shockwaves through the mobile healthcare industry. As an industry benchmark, Haodf Online’s exposure to such incidents has naturally drawn widespread attention from the sector. Since the beginning of this year, major companies including Jiuyi 160, Chunyu Doctor, and Xunyi Wenyao have repeatedly been reported to be conducting layoffs, with rumors abounding. The narrative of a “capital winter” has once again become the biggest news in the mobile healthcare space. VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) brings you the latest updates after investigating the truth behind these events.
1. Haodf Online Cuts Workforce by 50%, Laying Off All Recent Graduates.
2. The Technology Department laid off approximately 40 employees, while the User Experience Design (UED) team saw a 50% reduction in staff, with even directors earning annual salaries of one million yuan not spared from layoffs.
3. If the rumored overall layoff rate of 50% is applied, Haodf Online’s workforce of 800 employees would be reduced to just 400.
Rumor Debunked: Claims of Up to 50% Workforce Reduction at Haodf.com Are False
Today, rumors have been circulating within the mobile healthcare community that “Haodf Online may lay off up to 50% of its workforce.” This information is false, and we hereby issue an official clarification. Haodf Online is currently making preparations for the official launch of its Smart Internet Hospital, which involves routine adjustments to its organizational structure and staffing. The situation described in the rumors does not exist. Following the launch of the Smart Internet Hospital, we will integrate online consultation, e-prescribing, and medication delivery processes to establish a convenient online healthcare experience. We welcome talented professionals who are committed to the internet healthcare industry to join Haodf Online and jointly build the Smart Internet Hospital.
According to the sources, the information primarily originated from anonymous disclosures by users on Maimai, which was subsequently compiled and exposed by media outlets; none of the data has been officially verified. Based on Haodafu’s response, we can glean two key points.
1. Haodf.com has indeed experienced staff departures and adjustments to its business structure.
2. Allegations of large-scale layoffs are false.
In fact, Haodf Online officially signed an agreement with the Yinchuan Municipal People's Government in April this year to jointly establish the Yinchuan Smart Internet Hospital. According to a September report, Haodf Online was preparing for the establishment of the Smart Internet Hospital, with preparations for the facility—being co-developed with the Yinchuan Municipal Government—expected to lead to its official opening in October. In its recent response, Haodf Online also referenced this matter, stating that it is currently making preparations for the official launch of the Smart Internet Hospital, which involves routine adjustments to its organizational structure and staffing.
Haodf Online denied the reported headcount and scale of layoffs as false information. Wang Hang, CEO of Haodf, admitted that since July, the company has experienced normal monthly staff turnover involving dozens of employees amid adjustments to its business direction. He suggested that the exaggeration into large-scale layoffs might have been driven by individuals with ulterior motives. Following Haodf Online’s official clarification, Wang Hang shared recruitment postings from the company’s official hiring WeChat account on his Moments, offering a strong rebuttal. The account simultaneously posted openings for multiple positions, including Senior Marketing Manager, Medical Administration and Operations Manager, Internet Direct Sales City Manager, and Internet Direct Sales Consultant, implicitly indicating that departures were part of routine personnel turnover rather than mass layoffs.
During the trial operation period of Haodf Online Yinchuan Internet Hospital, more than 3,000 physicians have completed the multi-site practice registration procedures for the Smart Internet Hospital and are authorized to provide online medical consultations. It is projected that 10,000 physicians will join the hospital by the end of the year. At that time, patients will be able to consult with specialist experts “face-to-face,” schedule examinations, and obtain prescriptions via their mobile phones regardless of their location, with medications delivered directly to their homes.
Haodf Online, which boasts a vast pool of physician resources, has shifted its strategic direction by launching an internet hospital—a move that aligns with CEO Wang Hang’s long-standing vision for “Internet Healthcare 2.0.” It is only natural for the company to make certain personnel adjustments in response to strategic changes in its future business operations. However, amid the so-called “internet winter,” the internet healthcare sector has become increasingly jittery, growing sensitive to even the slightest hint of change.