A pioneering physician's freelance odyssey

Gong Xiaoming has a prescription for what ails China's health service: Set the doctors free.

The physician, who trained at the prestigious Peking Union College Hospital, has 15 years experience of working on the wards, and is highly regarded. In fact, the specialist in uterine fibroids once discovered that scalpers sold appointments for consultations with him for 3,000 yuan ($444), 400 times the official price.

"I should be proud," said the 45-year-old gynecologist.