CHANDIGARH, March 27, 2026: Punjab has enrolled more than 30.51 lakh families under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna within three months of its launch, with ₹292 crore worth of free treatment approved so far, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said Friday.
The scheme, launched on Jan. 8, has also seen 1.77 lakh treatment authorisations and 71,000 claims settled, reflecting what the state government described as a rapid expansion of public healthcare coverage.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Singh said ₹267 crore out of the total approved treatment amount has already been cleared, while ₹60 crore has been disbursed to empanelled hospitals.
“The scheme has so far registered 30,51,325 beneficiaries and issued 1,77,097 free authorisations for treatment,” he said. “We have settled 71,000 claims and disbursed ₹60 crore to empanelled hospitals.”
Singh said the initiative has provided financial relief to families by reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses. “When the government spends ₹292 crore on treatment, it means that money stays in the pockets of the common man,” he noted.
He also announced a timeline for clearing hospital dues, stating that all pending payments up to March 31 would be settled by April 15. “No hospital will have a single rupee pending from our side,” he said.
Outlining a revised payment mechanism, Singh said claims up to ₹1 lakh would be processed within 15 days, while higher-value claims would be cleared within a week of submission. Disputed claims, he added, would be resolved within a month.
The minister said the scheme has covered patients across age groups, including complex procedures such as cardiac treatments. “Beneficiaries range from a one-year-old infant to a 99-year-old grandmother who received cancer treatment,” he said, adding that over 100 heart-related conditions have been treated under the program.
He also referred to a case involving a ruptured sinus that was treated at a government medical college in Patiala.
According to Singh, the State Health Agency, working with United India Insurance, is overseeing the implementation to ensure smooth delivery of services across the state.
