PM orders launch of ‘e-Health Card’ for nationwide healthcare services

Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has instructed the launch of ‘e-Health’ cards to ensure medical services for the public. He gave this instruction on Wednesday, 4th March, at the Prime Minister's Office in the Secretariat during a meeting with the Minister of Health, the Minister of State, advisors, and health experts.

After the meeting, the Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary, Atiqur Rahman Rumon, stated that the Prime Minister had given the Health Minister appropriate instructions to begin the work of launching e-Health cards. The government's policy is that healthcare must reach the people's doorsteps. The Prime Minister told the ministry to be more proactive in this regard.

During the meeting, discussions were held regarding identifying abandoned buildings of various government ministries and organisations and bringing them under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to establish health centres. Regarding this, the Additional Press Secretary said that the LGED alone has 170 abandoned buildings. The Prime Minister said that abandoned buildings of government and its subordinate institutions and organisations should be developed as clinics and healthcare centres. He instructed the ministry in this matter.

The Additional Press Secretary stated that the Prime Minister urged the Health Minister regarding doctors going to health centres in remote areas.

The meeting also discussed the country's population growth. According to statistics, 3.4 million newborns are born in the country every year. Regarding the discussion on this issue, the Additional Press Secretary said that concerns were raised at the meeting regarding the statistics given for the annual number of newborn births. The ministry has been asked to be active in controlling the population.

In addition, the meeting also discussed the recruitment of one hundred thousand health workers (80 per cent women and 20 per cent men) as per the BNP's election promise, and the recruitment of doctors and health workers in vacant posts of the Ministry of Health. At the same time, the Additional Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon also said that the Prime Minister urged the Health Minister to ensure that doctors travel to health centres in remote areas properly.

Among others, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, Minister of State M. A. Muhit, and senior government officials were present at the meeting.

DBTech/IH/MUIM