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Chandigarh: Punjab’s ‘Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana’ is changing the picture of the health sector of the state. According to the State Health Agency (SHA) Punjab, Patiala district is at the forefront in the adoption and utilization of the scheme and has the highest number of patients and expenditure under the program in the state. More than 4,43,906 patients have been benefited across Punjab and a total of more than Rs 782.79 crore has been spent on them.

Chief Minister Health Scheme became a boon    

‘Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana’, designed to provide cashless treatment in government and empaneled private hospitals, has become one of the best public welfare schemes in the state. According to the latest data (as of June 23) of SHA Punjab, this scheme has brought changes on a large scale.

Patiala is at the forefront in availing the benefits of the scheme, where around Rs 79.15 crore has been spent on the treatment of 52,672 patients. This is followed by Bathinda, where Rs 76.81 crore has been spent on 30,813 patients, while in Ludhiana, an expenditure of Rs 60.54 crore has been recorded on 44,227 patients. Patiala’s leading position appears to be that there is better coordination with hospitals and greater awareness of the scheme among the beneficiaries.

“This scheme has provided relief to people from huge out-of-pocket health expenses,” Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said in a statement. “Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana is not just a paper-based policy, but a lifeline for families who once found hospital bills scarier than the disease,” he said.

The impact of the scheme is clearly visible throughout Punjab. Jalandhar (27,682 patients), Amritsar (20,503) and S.A.S. Districts like Nagar (20,085) have taken wide advantage of the scheme, while even in smaller districts like Kapurthala (9,384) and Malerkotla (3,181), the reach and usage of the scheme is continuously increasing.

According to SHA data, 4,43,906 patients have availed the benefits across the state and a total of Rs 782.79 crore has been spent on them. “Our objective is very simple—no family in Punjab should become indebted due to illness. The scheme is gaining more traction with every quarter,” stressed Dr. Balbir Singh.

This scheme is much discussed among the general public in rural areas. Gurmeet Singh, a 62-year-old farmer from Mansa, said, “If this scheme was not there, I would have had to sell my land to pay for the treatment.” Such experiences are also coming to light in districts like Sangrur, Hoshiarpur and Firozpur, where the number of patients admitted to hospitals under the Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana is continuously increasing.

Even in districts like Gurdaspur and Rupnagar, despite having average figures, the continuously increasing utilization of the scheme indicates that awareness among the people is increasing and the network of empaneled hospitals is also continuously expanding.