Staff Correspondent

Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and Science and Technology, Faqir Mahbub Anam, announced that the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to introduce a "National Health Card" to bridge the gap between urban and rural healthcare services and deliver modern, quality medical care to the doorstep of every citizen.

Speaking in Xi'an, China, during a session on Wednesday on the application of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the health sector at the forum titled "Digital and Intelligent Integration for Health - Towards a New Cooperative Ecosystem along the Silk Road", the Minister detailed the scope of the upcoming initiative.

The Minister explained that once implemented, the planned National Health Card will enable physicians to instantly access the essential medical records of patients regardless of their location within the country. This capability is expected to make medical diagnosis and treatment significantly faster, more accurate, and better coordinated.

Emphasizing the broader vision behind the project, he noted that this is not merely a technological convenience but a critical step toward establishing equity in healthcare.

Turning to regulatory frameworks, the Minister shared that the government is actively formulating a human-centric national Artificial Intelligence policy built upon the foundations of human rights, ethics, transparency, and inclusive development.

The Silk Road Forum, organized by the World Internet Conference (WIC) Secretariat with funding from the Chinese government, brought together top officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China, leaders of Shaanxi Province, and representatives from international organizations including the World Health Organization. Running from July 21 to 22, the international conference featured ministers, policymakers, and technical experts from countries including Cambodia, Algeria, Zambia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, Russia, and Brazil, focusing heavily on digitizing health infrastructure under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.