The government is preparing to introduce a National E-Health Platform to bring the country’s healthcare services under an integrated digital system. Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has directed that the platform’s operations initially begin as a pilot project in several districts.

He gave the directive at a meeting on an integrated information technology system for the health sector at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Saturday (August 22). The meeting was chaired by the prime minister.

The meeting discussed the proposed structure, operational framework and potential uses of the National E-Health Platform in healthcare. It was decided that the platform would first be implemented on a pilot basis in several districts to assess its effectiveness, potential challenges, costs and feasibility.

The government plans to gradually expand the platform nationwide after reviewing the experience and results of the pilot project.

Emphasising the effective use of information technology in healthcare, Prime Minister Tarek Rahman said the integrated system must be designed so that ordinary people can easily benefit from it and access medical services more conveniently.

He placed particular emphasis on securely storing patients’ essential health information and ensuring that authorised doctors and healthcare institutions can access the information when necessary.

The prime minister said data security and personal privacy must be ensured in developing the platform. He also stressed that it should be user-friendly, cost-effective and sustainable in the long term. He instructed the relevant authorities to properly assess the pilot project’s outcomes before taking further steps.

Earlier, Engineer Zakaria Swapan delivered a detailed presentation outlining various aspects of the proposed National E-Health Platform.

Among those attending the meeting were Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, State Minister Dr. M A Muhit, Prime Minister’s Special Assistants Dr. S M Ziauddin Haider and Dr. Shakirul Islam Khan, Health Services Division Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Information and Communication Technology Secretary Md. Mamunur Rashid, and senior officials from the relevant departments and agencies.