The waits at Harbin’ overcrowded hospitals are notoriously long, but mobile apps and information technology may be offering a glimmer of hope and the possibility of shorter waits as the province introduces “smart” hospitals, the first of which opened at the Harbin Medical University-affiliated Hospital No 4, on Aug 21.

The hospital allows patients to make an appointment, view their medical record and pay for services via the hospital’s WeChat account, and they can get a print-out at a self-service machine.

In commenting on the development, Shen Baozhong, a hospital official, said, “There are more than 2,000 ’Internet plus‘ mobile medical products on the market, which provide a model for medical care, and comprehensive hospitals in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have promoted these smart medical services.”

Shen went on to say that the “Internet plus” hospital will provide a pilot project for hospitals across the province, in simplifying procedures for patients and providing more convenient, comfortable medical services.

China’s hospitals see about 700,000 patients annually and it wasn’t uncommon to see people having to wait more than 2-hours on average just to see a doctor in the old way, while the smart approach will save about an hour, studies show.