The Ministry of Health and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) joins together to launch a nationwide digital health system that connects medical items with national identity cards.

The initiative called ‘One Patient One ID’ will use a person’s computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number as their permanent Medical Record (MR) number available at health facilities across the country.

The plan was reviewed at a meeting with the chairman of the federal Minister of Health Mustafa Kamal and Nadra Chairman LT Gen Mohammad Munir Affairs.

“There is currently no proper data system for patient records in Pakistan,” Kamal said. “Now CNIC will act as a MRI number nationwide.”

He added that the move is expected to improve the delivery of healthcare and expand telemedicine services. “Doctors and medicine will reach out to people in their homes through telemedicine,” Kamal said, emphasizing the growing role that digital health care emphasized.

The minister also emphasized that pressure on larger hospitals is rising, with 70% of patients dealing with local clinics and basic health units.

He called for better decentralized systems to manage the country’s growing population and health requirements.

In addition, the decision has been welcomed as a landmark reform of the country’s medical and research community.

Health Research Advisory Board (Healthrab) called the move a “historic milestone” for management of health data in Pakistan.

Prof Abdul Basit, a leading diabetologist and chairman of Healthrab, praised the federal Minister of Health Mustafa Kamal and Nadra President Lt Gen Muhammad Munir for what he called a “visionary, game-changing feature” for Pakistan’s health sector.

“By declaring CNIC as the universal medical journal number, Pakistan makes a leap against integrated, patient -centered care,” said prof Basit.

He noted that the system would help discover undiagnosed cases, especially of silent diseases such as diabetes and hypertension while improving evidence -based decision making.

Prof Basit emphasized the importance of this digital health integration for research and disease monitoring. “For the first time, we will be able to build real -time databases for chronic and lifestyle -related states,” he said, adding that it would strengthen preventative and primary care while ostracizing pressure on large hospitals.