LNP – NIC to every child at birth to ensure child rights, social security: GMOA

A proposal was handed over to the President for issuing a National Identity Card (NIC) number to every child at birth to ensure child rights and social security, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) said.

While forwarding the letter to the President, the GMOA General Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando said issuing a NIC number to every child at birth and issuing a NIC with the same number on or before the child reaches 16 years of age, will further strengthen the children’s rights and wellbeing.

During the meeting with Health Services Director General regarding the COVID Vaccination Programme, the matter of issuing a tracking number for children was taken up for discussion.

Dr. Fernando said the GMOA strongly believes that the above initiative will benefit the children as well as the future generations of the country in the following aspects;

Every child will develop a sense of belongingness to the motherland, safety and well-being of the children will be ensured, especially concerning child abuse and child labour, NIC number could be used as a unique health identifier for well coordinated universal health coverage, aforesaid unique identities can also be linked to educational, financial and social information while maintaining the confidentiality and accurately targeting of needy children for availing limited resources can be achieved by using this.