The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana has provided 2,44,468 cashless treatments worth more than Rs 316.50 crore under its 10 most frequently availed procedures, offering financial relief to families facing expensive medical care.
The procedures covered under the scheme include dialysis, cardiac interventions, knee and hip replacements, Caesarean deliveries and surgeries for kidney stones, among others.
According to data from the State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab, Chronic Haemodialysis is the most frequently availed procedure, with 1,87,656 dialysis sessions worth over Rs 30.65 crore provided under the scheme.
Laparoscopic gall bladder surgery ranks second, with 17,698 procedures carried out. This is followed by 10,751 Total Knee Replacement surgeries, helping patients regain mobility and improve their quality of life.
The scheme has also covered 9,317 Caesarean deliveries, reducing the financial burden on families during childbirth.
Cardiac care constitutes another significant component of the scheme. A total of 8,734 patients have undergone Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) along with diagnostic angiography, while 554 patients have received Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG).
Other major procedures covered include 5,770 Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures for kidney stones, 2,247 lower ureter surgeries, 911 Cementless Total Hip Replacement surgeries and 830 radical surgical procedures.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the effectiveness of a healthcare programme should be assessed by whether patients receive timely treatment without being pushed into financial distress.
“The true measure of any healthcare programme is not the number of beneficiaries on paper, but the number of families who receive timely treatment without being pushed into financial distress,” he said.
Dr Singh said the figures represented thousands of families who had accessed quality medical treatment without having to worry about hospital bills. He highlighted dialysis, knee replacement, Caesarean deliveries and emergency cardiac treatment as examples of procedures where financial constraints could otherwise delay or disrupt care.
He added that the range of procedures covered demonstrated the government’s effort to provide access not only to routine healthcare but also to complex and high-cost treatments across multiple medical specialties.
The government said the scheme is helping patients manage chronic illnesses, enabling elderly people to regain mobility, supporting institutional maternal care and reducing the financial shock associated with serious medical conditions.
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