STARTING Tuesday, parents can now bind their children’s social security cards to WeChat services to make appointments and medical payments on the online platform, according to Tencent, the Shenzhen-based Internet giant that owns WeChat, sznews.com reported yesterday.

With the online service available, children and their parents can save a lot of time by not having to line up at hospitals to see doctors. Shenzhen is the first city in the country to offer such a service for children.

Parents can bind their children’s social security cards to their own social security accounts on WeChat and enjoy online services at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Health-care Hospital and Shenzhen University General Hospital. More hospitals will accept the function soon, according to the report.

Shenzhen was the first city to pilot online social security services on WeChat in 2016, enabling residents to see doctors without waiting in long lines.

So far, 49 hospitals and 456 pharmacies in Shenzhen accept WeChat payment.

(Zhang Qian)