Bathinda, June 2: A 37-year-old Bathinda resident, Gurpreet Kaur, has received a new lease on life after undergoing a critical heart procedure at AIIMS Bathinda, fully funded by the Punjab government’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana. Kaur had been living with an undetected congenital heart defect—a 22-millimeter Atrial Septal Defect—which created a large hole between the upper chambers of her heart and threatened her with imminent cardiac failure.
The successful operation, executed in the hospital’s specialized Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory, utilized a 24-millimeter Amplatzer Septal Occluder device to permanently seal the opening. The complex medical intervention carried substantial financial stakes for the household, costing around one lakh rupees, but the entire sum was completely covered under the state’s universal health insurance card system.
“My first thought was about the financial burden,” Gurpreet Kaur stated when recalling the panic following her diagnosis. “I worried about how we would pay for the treatment. It felt like our family was standing at a crossroads.”
Her husband noted that while the family waited through hours of high-risk surgery under general anesthesia, they could do nothing but pray. He affirmed that the positive update from the operating team felt as though a massive mountain had been removed from his shoulders.
State health authorities declared that Kaur’s case exemplifies the exact mission of the expanded public medical network. According to recent data compiled by the State Health Agency, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana has registered more than 45 lakh individuals across Punjab, spending ₹581.90 crore to manage over 3.43 lakh separate treatments.
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh affirmed the government’s stance on accessible medical welfare following the patient’s smooth recovery.
“No family should be denied quality treatment because of financial hardship,” Dr. Balbir Singh noted. “Gurpreet’s recovery shows how timely medical care and financial protection can save lives and preserve the dignity of families.”
