Telemedicine Expands Pediatric Health Access Nationwide
Govt Committed to Cleft Children Care: Minister
- The government pledged comprehensive digital health support for children born with cleft lips.
- Telemedicine networks and digital health apps are extending pediatric specialist access to rural areas.
- Recovered pediatric surgical patients were presented with gifts on World Smile Day.
Harnessing specialized healthtech frameworks, telemedicine infrastructure, and digital diagnostic platforms has become central to delivering clinical pediatric care across underserved regions. The government remains committed to providing comprehensive support to ensure the holistic physical rehabilitation and societal integration of children with congenital cleft lip and palate deformities, stated Posts, Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam. Delivering specialized clinical interventions down to grassroots populations to restore children's smiles is an imperative national and social responsibility, he observed.
The Minister made these remarks on Friday (October 2) as the chief guest at the "World Smile Day 2026" celebration hosted at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. The clinical outreach and commemorative gathering was jointly organized by the New Life Hospital Cleft Project and the Child Health Awareness Foundation, with global philanthropic support from Smile Train America, bringing together successfully operated children and their families.
Highlighting the transformative role of clinical health technology, Faqir Mahbub Anam emphasized that technical innovation serves as a key driver in making pediatric healthcare affordable, rapid, and universally accessible. Through scalable telemedicine platforms, diagnostic health apps, and digital consultation systems, young patients in remote regions can now consult leading specialist surgeons without geographical barriers, with public sector initiatives focused on expanding this digital health ecosystem nationwide.
He commended Dr. Bijoy Krishna Das and the multidisciplinary medical team for their surgical rehabilitation efforts, noting that direct investments in pediatric health, medical technology, and digital care infrastructure yield the highest returns for national human capital. He urged private donors and corporate institutions to scale up medical CSR resources to accelerate corrective cleft procedures countrywide.
Special guests at the event included Habiganj-01 Member of Parliament Dr. Sakhawat Hassan Jiban, the Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and Smile Train Program Director for Bangladesh and Nepal A B M Mobasher Hossain, who highlighted early diagnostic awareness and digitized patient mapping to scale free surgeries.
Presided over by Child Health Awareness Foundation General Secretary and Executive Head Professor Dr. Bijoy Krishna Das, the event was addressed by Foundation President Professor Dr. Shamim Ara Khan Chowdhury, World Smile Day Member Secretary Dr. Aslamul Islam Rudra, and New Life Hospital Private Limited Managing Director and CEO Md. Asaduzzaman. Congratulatory gifts were later presented to the rehabilitated children and their guardians, according to official sources.
//DBTech/ZNU/SME/DMP//
