Punjab's cashless health scheme crosses 6 lakh treatments, easing family burden
As India marks its 80th Independence Day, the ability to afford emergency medical care without financial distress has become a key measure of public welfare. In Punjab, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) offers cashless treatment of up to ₹10 lakh per family per year and has recorded over six lakh treatments in the past seven months.
State Health Agency data show that 26,18,712 beneficiaries have been enrolled against a reported eligible base of 69,12,697 families. So far, 3,02,906 patients have received treatment, accounting for 6,06,892 treatments and 15,267 procedures. The scheme has 880 empanelled hospitals, with the average claim value at ₹14,628.04.
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said, “From dialysis to cancer care, Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana crosses six lakh treatments in Punjab. The scale of utilisation is particularly visible in critical and high-cost healthcare. Chronic haemodialysis accounts for 1,99,417 treatments, while 60,504 cancer cases and 1,85,220 emergency cases have also been recorded.”
Cardiac care remains a major component. The data records 10,428 PTCA procedures, including diagnostic angiography, involving expenditure of ₹100 crore. CABG accounted for 611 treatments and approximately ₹8.20 crore, while 507 pacemaker procedures involved about ₹6.79 crore.
Orthopaedic treatment has also seen substantial utilisation, with 11,796 total knee replacements involving expenditure of ₹94.89 crore. The scheme recorded 1,092 total hip replacements costing ₹10.75 crore, along with more than 2,200 fracture fixation procedures. Cancer treatment accounted for approximately ₹159.41 crore across 60,504 reported cases, while dialysis expenditure stood at ₹33.14 crore for 2,02,793 reported cases.
The scheme’s reach extends across public and private hospitals. Private facilities handled 3,36,161 cases, compared with 2,70,731 cases in government hospitals. Reported expenditure stood at ₹614.08 crore and ₹479.85 crore respectively.
District-level figures show varying patterns of utilisation. Patiala recorded the highest number of patients treated at 28,977, followed by Bathinda with 23,446, Ludhiana with 22,620 and Jalandhar with 20,193. Bathinda recorded the highest expenditure at ₹200 crore, followed by Patiala at ₹100 crore, Amritsar at ₹99.23 crore and Jalandhar at ₹91.30 crore.
Behind the numbers are individual stories of relief. Sandeep Kaur, who received treatment for gallbladder and spine-related conditions, said, “After successful treatment, I am much better than before. I am living my life with new hope.” For Nishi Gupta, undergoing breast cancer treatment, the Health Card has removed the financial pressure of prolonged care. “With the Health Card, my breast cancer treatment has started free of cost and is continuing without any expense. This has brought great relief to me and my family,” she said.
Hakam Singh of Patiala suffered a sudden cardiac emergency. After receiving free treatment, he thanked the government for the support. Another beneficiary, Gurcharan Singh, described the fear that serious illness can bring: “We would have just died thinking about where we would get the money from.” For these families, the value of cashless healthcare goes beyond government expenditure—it is money they did not have to arrange at a time when survival and recovery were the only priorities.
