Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today held a special committee meeting aimed at building a healthier Bangladesh and instructed the launch of the e-Health Card, one of BNP’s electoral manifesto commitments for the health sector.
Later, MA Muhit, state minister for the health ministry, explained in a video what the e-Health Card is, how it will work, and the benefits it will provide to the people.
He said the government will launch the e-Health system, a method to digitise the health sector, under which each patient will receive an e-Health Card.
All medical records will be stored permanently on the card. As a result, whenever a patient seeks treatment at any hospital in the country, their past medical records will be instantly accessible through the card, he said.
The e-Health Card will contain information such as previous treatment history, test results, and medication records, according to BNP’s electoral manifesto. This will enable doctors to make accurate decisions and, through better coordination, reduce medical errors, duplication of medicines, and unnecessary expenses, it added.
At the same time, the state minister said different components of the health sector will be brought under a single system through digitisation.
This will not only ensure preservation of patients’ health service records but also generate data on whether doctors are present at their workplaces. Furthermore, activities across the health system can be monitored and implementation supported through the digital platform, he said.
“Through this health card, we aim to restructure the health system so that the marginalised populations of Bangladesh can fully exercise their right to health services,” he said.
The state minister said the e-Health system will initially be implemented in a pilot district.
Beginning with primary healthcare services in that district, a referral network will be developed, and if the district has a district hospital or medical college hospital, all levels of healthcare services will be integrated into one system under the e-Health system, he said.
“We believe that in the coming days, this digital health system and e-Health Card will play a crucial role in moving Bangladesh towards a modern health system,” he added.
The plan is similar to proposals put forward by the Health Sector Reform Commission in May last year.
To move away from the existing fragmented, inadequate and foreign technology-dependent system, the commission recommended building an integrated digital health information system/platform called "Shasthya-Setu", which will connect all public and private institutions.
Under this platform, a “Unique Health ID” would be introduced for every citizen, to be linked with the smart "Shasthya-Chabi" (Health Key Card) containing all the information about a patient’s health and related service history.
A nationwide integrated e-prescription system would also be introduced, which would be directly linked to the platform. The use of this unified e-prescription system would be made mandatory for all physicians and implemented in phases, according to the commission’s report.
