Chandigarh, Feb 10: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday issued a stern warning to “anti-Punjab forces” allegedly spreading misinformation about the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, the state’s ambitious universal healthcare initiative.
In a video address to the public, the Chief Minister clarified that the scheme provides a cashless treatment cover of up to Rs 10 lakh for every resident family in the state. He noted that Punjab is the first state in the country to offer such extensive health coverage, which includes government employees, pensioners, and all other citizens. Mann mentioned that the initiative aims to eliminate the financial burden on families during medical emergencies.
“The Punjab government launched this ambitious scheme to ensure that every resident of Punjab has direct access to quality medical treatment,” Mann directly said. He noted that the state government has already empanelled a majority of private hospitals and fixed rates for approximately 2,600 different ailments.
The Chief Minister mentioned that some elements are deliberately spreading falsehoods to discourage the public from utilizing these benefits. He noted that the government will pay hospitals directly based on agreed rates, regardless of their standard private charges. Mann mentioned that the entire process—from admission and diagnosis to treatment and discharge—is designed to be completely free for the beneficiary.
“If any hospital demands money from a patient under this scheme, a complaint should be lodged with the state government immediately,” the Chief Minister directly said. He noted that the administration would not hesitate to take exemplary punitive action against any medical facility found engaging in such malpractices. He urged citizens to obtain their health cards from facilitation centres or through online registration using basic identification.
