SANGSAD BHABAN, June 11, 2026 (BSS) – The government has announced plans to introduce a universal digital Health Card for every citizen under an ambitious healthcare reform programme aimed at ensuring integrated, efficient and people-oriented medical services across the country.

The initiative was unveiled by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury while placing the national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year in parliament, which proposed a total outlay of Tk 9.38 lakh crore, setting out a broad plan to stabilise and strengthen key public sectors, including health. 

The minister said the health card initiative is a key component of the government's broader effort to transform Bangladesh's healthcare system from a treatment-centred model to a prevention-focused and digitally integrated system.

Under the proposed universal health coverage framework, every citizen will be issued a modern “Health Card” linked to an Integrated Patient Management System and an Integrated Patient Referral System.

“Under universal health coverage, every citizen will be issued a modern ‘Health Card’, linked to an Integrated Patient Management System and an Integrated Patient Referral System,” the minister told parliament.

According to the minister, the system will allow patients’ previous treatment records, medical investigations, prescriptions and other health information to be instantly accessible at any primary, secondary or specialised healthcare facility across the country.

He said the digital platform would significantly improve the quality of healthcare services by reducing medical errors, avoiding unnecessary duplication of prescriptions and ensuring faster and more efficient treatment delivery.

“This will significantly improve the quality of care, reduce medical errors and unnecessary duplication of prescriptions, and enable patients to receive faster, more orderly, and more effective services,” he said.

The minister added that the initiative would also strengthen discipline, accountability and efficiency across the country’s healthcare system.

Highlighting the broader budget context, the finance minister said the government has allocated Tk 69,409 crore for the health sector in FY2026-27, nearly double the revised allocation of Tk 35,477 crore in the previous fiscal year.

He said years of neglect, corruption, political interference and lack of accountability had weakened the health sector, leading to overcrowded hospitals, rising out-of-pocket expenses and increased medical treatment abroad.

To address these challenges, the government has also planned to establish modern primary healthcare units in every union and urban ward, supported by community clinics and trained health workers delivering services at the grassroots level.

The Health Card system, the minister said, will be integrated with this expanding network to ensure seamless referrals between primary, secondary and specialised healthcare facilities, creating a more coordinated and patient-friendly system.

He expressed optimism that the initiative would mark a major step towards building a modern, efficient and people-centred healthcare system in Bangladesh.

The government, he added, considers investment in healthcare not as expenditure but as a vital investment in human resource development and national economic progress.

He further reiterated that ensuring no poor family is financially devastated by medical costs remains a central objective of the government’s healthcare agenda.