PATIALA: For families dependent on daily wages, even short hospital stays can erase months of earnings. For Gurtej Singh, a mechanic from Mandoli village in Patiala district, falling seriously ill meant not only lost income but the threat of mounting medical debt.
Within days of being admitted to Chaman Hospital Bahadurgarh, his family had already spent nearly Rs. 10,000 on bed charges and medicines. Doctors indicated that total expenses could rise to Rs. 80,000–90,000, an amount far beyond the household’s irregular earnings.
With no land or savings to fall back on, borrowing at interest appeared inevitable. Relief came when Gurtej Singh was informed about the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, being implemented by the Government of Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and was assisted in obtaining his health card. Once enrolled, he received six days of complete treatment without any additional payment, with expenses covered under the scheme.
Financial protection during illness is as important as medical care itself,” said Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh. “The biggest worry was how we would arrange the money. Without the card, we would have had to borrow and struggle for months. The scheme protected my family from that burden,” he said, adding that the financial strain would have directly affected the education and well-being of his two daughters.
By providing cashless coverage of up to Rs. 10 lakh per eligible family annually, the scheme aims to prevent medical emergencies from turning into long-term financial setbacks for working families across Punjab. With projected coverage of nearly 3 crore residents across about 65 lakh families and access to more than 2,300 treatment packages at over 800 hospitals, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana aims to shield working households from slipping into debt during medical emergencies
