A new online hospital catering to women and children was launched in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Wednesday.

The West China Women and Children Online Hospital of Sichuan University will partner with the Chengdu-based West China Second University Hospital to offer online medical services for patients from all parts of the country, according to Zhang Lin, president of the latter university.

West China Second University Hospital is the largest medical institution for women and children in Southwest China.

Two months ago, the Sichuan Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission signed an agreement for construction of an online hospital in Chengdu with We Doctor, an online medical service provider in China.

Shen Ji, head of the commission, said the hospital will use the internet to help people who lack access to qualified medical services in the less developed areas in Sichuan.

A total of 88 counties in the province suffer from a severe shortage of medical resources, but thanks to the new hospital, patients in these counties can now seek out medical consultations from renowned doctors in Chengdu’s major hospitals as well as other parts of China, Shen said.

Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, which has the largest ethnic Yi population in China, is one of the least developed areas in the province. It is expected to benefit most from the hospital.

To access the service, residents need only visit a local rural clinic when they are sick. The results of their checkups will then be sent to the online hospital, where doctors will analyze the results and diagnose patients via online video conferencing.