Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Wednesday said the national E-Health Card is expected to be rolled out by June to strengthen and better coordinate the country’s healthcare services,
He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has instructed authorities to prioritize the implementation of the card to enhance public healthcare services.
The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the closing session of a two-day high-level policy workshop on preparations for implementing the National E-Health ID, held at a Dhaka hotel.
The workshop was jointly organized by the Aspire to Innovate (a2i) program of the ICT Division, the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Sakhawat Hossain said the E-Health Card would benefit the entire healthcare system, allowing doctors to access essential health information for patients—whether in rural or urban areas—facilitating more effective diagnosis and treatment.
He added that the E-Health ID would serve as a foundational identity framework in the health sector, enabling accurate identification across different services and secure medical information exchange among hospitals, clinics, and other providers.
The minister also noted that the BNP government has launched three major initiatives: the Family Card, E-Health Card, and Farmers Card. While the Family Card is already in place, work on the E-Health and Farmers Cards is ongoing. He expressed hope that the E-Health Card could be launched by the end of June.
During the workshop, policy discussions focused on technological capacity, infrastructure readiness, and institutional coordination required for implementing Health ID, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and Shareable Health Records (SHR).
State Minister for Health Dr. MA Muhit highlighted the importance of interoperability in the digital health ecosystem, saying it would make healthcare services more efficient, accurate, and accessible. He added that the initiative would improve patient data management, support evidence-based planning, and strengthen service quality in both public and private healthcare systems.
Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury underscored the importance of good governance, data privacy, and institutional readiness, while stressing the need for interoperability and standard frameworks.
Project Director of a2i Mohammad Abdur Rafiq said the workshop would help chart practical steps to expand the Health ID ecosystem. Meanwhile, ADB Senior Health Specialist Rui Liu assured continued support for Bangladesh’s digital health transformation.
The workshop also reviewed current EMR usage in healthcare institutions, SHR architecture, API standards, interoperability frameworks, privacy and consent management, and preparations for integrating private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers. Participants emphasised the need for a national roadmap identifying technological, institutional, and governance gaps.
Senior policymakers, health officials, technology experts, development partners, and private sector representatives attended the workshop, including a2i Chief Technology Advisor Mohammad Masudur Rahman, International Project Manager Maha Abu Emayer, and ADB Senior Health Specialist Rui Liu.