Every citizen to get e-health cards by 2028: Health Minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain informed Parliament on Wednesday that the government planned to provide e-health cards to all citizens by 2028 as part of its efforts to ensure a universal healthcare system 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 scripted question from opposition lawmaker Nurunnesa Siddiqua (Women Seat-37), reports UNB.

The health minister said the government is committed to ensuring healthcare as a fundamental right in line with its election manifesto. “So, the government is committed to gradually increase health sector allocations to 5 percent of the country's GDP,” he said.

He also said the current government has a target to ensure universal health safety and provide health services to every citizen in line with its electoral manifesto.

Citing different time-befitting and effective steps taken to expand digital health services system, he said the government will provide e-health card, enhance the capacity district hospitals, the upazila health complexes, the union-level health service institutions and the health services programmes in the hilly and remote areas.

Besides, it will set up new hospitals, improve the existing infrastructures and management, ensure free quality primary health services, raise awareness about health and prevention of diseases, provide complete health service for mother and child, establish the drug and vaccine supply network, implement coordinated and modern nutrition programmes, control tobacco use 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.