Fifty-nine medical workers in Sichuan province have been penalized for receiving improper fees from a pharmaceutical company, local health authorities said on Saturday.

The Sichuan Provincial Health Commission recently received a tip-off alleging that a pharmaceutical company had offered commercial bribes to 125 doctors. The commission then established an investigation team to verify the allegations with relevant departments, according to a statement released by the commission's official WeChat account.

The original list of 125 people was refined to 118 in 36 medical institutions, after removing six duplicates and one unsubstantiated entry, the statement said.

The investigation found that 59 medical workers received improper payments totaling 116,600 yuan ($16,200) for participating in activities like case collection and science popularization projects.

Fifty workers received proper remuneration totaling 46,600 yuan for academic lectures, while nine workers didn't receive any payment, said the statement.

The commission has instructed local authorities to take stern disciplinary action against the medical workers who violated integrity and self-discipline regulations. All improperly collected fees have been fully recovered.

The commission said it has transferred the clues related to the company mentioned in the tip-off to relevant authorities for further handling.