Every citizen to get e-health cards by 2028: Health minister
The health minister said the government is committed to ensuring healthcare as a fundamental right in line with its election manifesto.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain informed parliament today (10 June) that the government plans to provide e-health cards to all citizens by 2028 as part of its efforts to ensure universal healthcare and expand digital health services across the country.
"There is a target of providing e-health cards to all citizens by 2028 through a technical assistance project," he said while replying to a question from opposition lawmaker Nurunnesa Siddiqua.
The health minister said the government is committed to ensuring healthcare as a fundamental right in line with its election manifesto.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"Therefore, the government is committed to gradually increasing health sector allocations to 5% of the country's GDP," he said.
He also said the current government aims to ensure universal health coverage and provide healthcare services to every citizen in line with its electoral manifesto.
Citing various timely and effective steps taken to expand the digital health service system, he said the government will provide e-health cards, enhance the capacity of district hospitals, upazila health complexes, union-level health service institutions, and healthcare programmes in hilly and remote areas.
In addition, it will establish new hospitals, improve existing infrastructure and management, ensure free and quality primary healthcare services, raise awareness about health and disease prevention, provide comprehensive maternal and child healthcare services, establish a drug and vaccine supply network, implement coordinated and modern nutrition programmes, and control tobacco-related non-communicable diseases, he added.
The health minister said the government plans to introduce a digital health ID and provide every citizen with an e-health card, enabling the creation of a nationwide digital health database.
The initiative would help prevent duplication of medications, improve clinical decision-making, reduce unnecessary healthcare costs, and ensure a more efficient, secure, and patient-friendly healthcare system, he said.
The current government has also taken additional steps, including establishing modern secondary healthcare units in every district, recruiting 100,000 health workers to address manpower shortages, and expanding public-private partnerships for the treatment of life-threatening diseases.
Other planned measures include promoting healthy lifestyles and awareness of sanitation and nutrition, ensuring access to safe drinking water, establishing a national ambulance pool and emergency service network, introducing AI-based national e-prescriptions and prescription audits, forming a national accreditation council for the health sector, and strengthening medical education.
