Technology-Infused Smart Health Systems as Economic Capital

Although economic discourses to churn Bangladesh into a developed nation prevail by megaprojects, foreign remittances, textile and industrial expansion, and export growth, less attention is seen in promoting healthcare services. Nonetheless, Smart Health Systems (SHS) can become one of the most powerful engines of national economic development by eradicating the curse of unwholesome society while ensuring smooth healthcare services. A SHS is an integrated medical system that utilises digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), cloud computing, and big data analytics to provide predictive, continuous, and personalised care.

In today’s knowledge-oriented economy, health is not merely considered as a social indication, rather it is an economic capital - the fundamental asset that creates enduring economic value and national wealth. A healthy population is more productive, resilient, and innovative. Healthy workers are more productive in the labour market, take fewer days off, and stay economically active for extended periods. In contrast, unhealthy workforce reduces productivity, increases household expenditure, and puts a huge strain on public resources. Healthcare should therefore be seen not as a recurring social cost, but as a strategic investment in human capital that will pay economic dividends for generations to come.

The economic case for healthcare reform is even more overwhelming for Bangladesh with the huge outflow of foreign currencies associated with medical tourism. Recent estimates suggest that every year hundreds of thousands (4.5-8 lakh) of affluent Bangladeshis go abroad in search of medical treatment spending around BDT 490-615 billion per year in countries such as India, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. In this case, India occupies the first priority. Recent data shows that more than 4.82 lakh Bangladeshis travelled to India for medical treatment in 2024 alone, making up a significant portion (50-60%) of India’s foreign medical patients. Patients often travel to cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and New Delhi for advanced cardiac care, oncology, kidney treatment, neurosurgery, transplantation and specialised diagnostics. Meanwhile, Singapore has become a preferred destination among the more affluent Bangladeshis for world-class specialized treatment. Singapore continues to attract patients, despite its much higher costs, due to its internationally accredited hospitals, advanced technologies, digital healthcare systems, and reputation for clinical excellence.

This issue is raising tension among policy makers not only due to the loss of foreign currencies but also due to the lack of faith that people have in the national healthcare services. All the money being sent out of the country represents money that is not being used to locally develop facilities, train doctors and nurses, invest in diagnostic centres, medical equipment manufacturing, and other associated industries. Even if half the annual cost of foreign treatment is retained in the country, the economy would gain billions of dollars in terms of job creation, innovation, and foreign currency reserves.

The costs involved with medical tourism go beyond mere economics. The unfortunate death of some Bangladeshi nationals who lost their lives in a fire outbreak at a Kolkata hotel in August 2026 has shed light on some of the dangers involved with getting medical attention from abroad. Meanwhile, many other patients remain uncertain due to delays and denial of visas, leaving them with no choice other than postponing crucial operations or opting for more expensive procedures in different hospitals. All of these indicate a very harsh fact that the reliance on the foreign healthcare system puts its citizens in danger that they have little control over. Thus, improving the country’s healthcare sector is not just important for economic reasons but also a matter of national pride and sovereignty.

To turn around the situation, Bangladesh needs to carry out a full-scale modernisation of its healthcare system. The first step of this process has to be the establishment of a national digital health eco-system, SHS, based on the Electronic Health Record (EHR) with unique health IDs of all citizens. At present, patient records are scattered in different hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Such a situation may lead to duplication of tests, diagnosis delays, unnecessary costs, and even medical mistakes. All patient information can easily be accessed by authorised healthcare professionals from any place via a centralised AI-based SHS. As a result, there would be immense gains, including minimised repetitive tests that will bring down the cost of healthcare services as well as consistency of healthcare services would be increased as doctors would be able to make decisions about treatment plans based on the whole patient history. Similarly, public health officials would have real-time data on epidemics that can be used to plan effectively.

However, digitalisation alone will not be enough to change the healthcare system in Bangladesh. The application of AI should be viewed as one of the crucial pillars for the SHS in the country. By being integrated with the national shared EHR, AI can help deliver better clinical and management decisions through faster and more precise diagnoses of cancer, diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular diseases, etc., as well as provide access to specialists’ services for underprivileged areas through telemedicine powered by AI. In addition to improving patient care, technology can use data analysis to predict the emergence of diseases and demands on medicines, optimise capacity at hospitals, determine high-risk groups, etc. Clinical decision support systems using AI can also assist doctors in discovering potential drug interactions and risks and make evidence-based suggestions regarding treatment.

Along with technological advancement, Bangladesh must engage in strategic healthcare diplomacy to expedite the development of a top-notch SHS. A full-fledged Memorandum of Understanding with Hong Kong, which is a leader in hospital administration, telemedicine, and biomedical studies, would be able to facilitate training of specialists, physician exchange programmes, AI healthcare programs, establishment of digital hospitals, and joint research. Alongside, increased cooperation with China will help in building up the healthcare infrastructure, telemedicine, biotechnology, medical devices production, and advanced diagnostics at a reasonable cost.

Ultimately, Bangladesh must also seek to not only curb medical tourism out of its country but become a destination for medical tourism within the region following how India and Singapore accelerated medical tourism through building infrastructure, technology, accreditation, and human capital. Bangladesh is well-suited to become a regional medical tourism destination due to its low-cost medical care, its thriving pharmaceutical sector, and its geographical positioning. Through the development of internationally recognised centres of excellence in specific disciplines, Bangladesh can convert its health sector from a foreign exchange drain to an earner of foreign currency and economic prosperity.

In essence, given these points, it is clear that as the country is moving into its next stage of development, it is essential that SHS be understood as an investment in the economy and not just the cost of society. With the creation of a robust digital health platform, the incorporation of AI in the SHS, forming strategic partnerships with innovators like Hong Kong and China, and setting higher standards for services in the sector, the country will be able to keep billions of dollars that are currently spent on medical tourism and create a new growth driver. Only by building a technology-infused SHS today can Bangladesh transform her greatest assets, people, into a healthier, wealthier, and more resilient capital tomorrow.

The writer is Assistant Professor of Department of Management Information Systems at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur