People who go to Beijing Children's Hospital for medical services take a rest outside the hospital in this file photo. [Photo/IC]

Beijing isn't alone in the trend. South China's Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center set up the nation's first "smart hospital" in May 2014. Patients at the center can make appointments, pay medical bills and consult doctors via mobile apps.

Xia Huimin, president of the center, attributed the success of the smart hospital to the management of the center's medical mobile network and wide public acceptance of mobile services.

As of July 27, about 260,000 people had used the mobile medical services provided by the center, and more than 30 percent of the center's patients had made appointments via the services, according to Xia.

By late May, 82 hospitals in 41 cities had launched mobile medical services to patients, according to data from Alipay, China's largest online payment provider.

Smart hospitals have led to breakthroughs in China's medical system reform, said Chen Dengkun, an expert on smart medical services in Guangzhou.

Smart hospitals are expected to be widely promoted as the number of Chinese Internet users grows. The country's online population reached 649 million at the end of 2014, with some 557 million accessing the Internet via mobile phones.

In addition to hospitals, other public venues such as railway stations, public security bureaus, and banks could also see lines shrink as mobile public services reach more traditional sectors.