- Ensuring ₹10 Lakh Annual Coverage Per Family; Scheme Gains Momentum Across Urban and Rural Areas, Transforming Access to Healthcare
Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government’s flagship initiative ‘Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana’ (MMSY) has achieved a major milestone by issuing over 40 lakh health cards within just three months. The scheme guarantees annual health coverage of up to ₹10 lakh per family, reflecting both the government’s proactive approach and the growing public trust in the program.
On April 21 alone, as many as 28,766 registrations were recorded under the scheme, indicating a shift toward a more inclusive, accountable, and people-centric healthcare system.
The impact of the initiative is visible across the state. Ludhiana leads with 4.20 lakh cards issued, followed by Patiala with 3.82 lakh and Jalandhar with 2.85 lakh. Importantly, the scheme is not limited to major urban centres. Tier-2 and Tier-3 districts such as Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Mansa, Fazilka, and Barnala are also witnessing steady adoption, highlighting the deep reach of the AAP government’s healthcare reforms in underserved areas.
Ground-level feedback further reinforces the scheme’s success. At the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Khanna, Senior Medical Officer Dr. Maninder Singh Bhasin stated that healthcare should not be a privilege. “Earlier, coverage was limited, but now every resident is included. In recent months, we have performed over 200 gall bladder surgeries, typically costing ₹40,000 to ₹80,000, without patients paying anything,” he said.
He added that knee and hip replacement surgeries, which usually cost over ₹1 lakh, have become routine. “We perform around 10 surgeries daily, all cashless,” he noted.
Highlighting advancements in critical care, Dr. Bhasin said that in STEMI heart attack cases, every minute is crucial. “With Tenecteplase—a thrombolytic drug used to dissolve blood clots—we have been able to restore blood flow quickly and have saved around 100 lives so far,” he said.
Echoing similar trends, Barnala-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Karan Chopra said, “Earlier, patients delayed surgeries for months. Now they come early. Each surgery saves them around ₹1 to ₹1.5 lakh.”
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh emphasized the vision behind the scheme, stating that healthcare should not depend on a patient’s ability to pay or travel. “Under the Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana, every family receives up to ₹10 lakh annual coverage through health cards. Our goal is to ensure quality treatment reaches every household without financial burden,” he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government is not only expanding healthcare infrastructure but also redefining the relationship between citizens and public services. The initiative represents governance that directly impacts people’s livesrestoring dignity and establishing healthcare as a right, not a privilege.