CHANDIGARH: With monsoon conditions favouring mosquito breeding, Punjab is strengthening surveillance, prevention and treatment for dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases. Alongside these public-health measures, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) is helping eligible families access cashless healthcare when illness requires treatment.
Earlier this year, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh stressed the need for stronger community participation in preventing mosquito-borne diseases. During a state-level review, authorities highlighted dengue, malaria and chikungunya and called for greater surveillance, testing and elimination of mosquito-breeding sites.
Punjab has reported a substantial decline in dengue. Cases fell from 23,389 in 2021 to 4,981 in 2025, while deaths declined from 55 to eight. The Health and Family Welfare Minister attributed the improvement partly to proactive house-to-house surveillance, including around 15 million visits during the previous transmission season.
The state also pushed the “Har Shukarvaar Dengue Te Vaar” campaign, under which students, teachers and health workers are encouraged to inspect surroundings every Friday and remove stagnant water from coolers, flower pots, overhead tanks and other containers.
On this, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Mosquito-borne diseases need a community-wide response. Prevention cannot remain the responsibility of the health department alone. Every household, school and institution must ensure that stagnant water does not become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”
Punjab has also expanded diagnostic facilities, with free ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) testing for dengue and chikungunya available at 47 Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals. Malaria rapid diagnostic testing and dengue testing have also been expanded.
Doctors, meanwhile, caution residents against ignoring persistent fever or assuming every monsoon fever is routine. Dr Shifali Choudhary (MBBS, MD) Medical specialist, District Hospital, Mohali, explained, “Mosquito-borne diseases can cause havoc when symptoms are ignored or treatment is delayed. Persistent fever, severe weakness, intense body or joint pain, repeated vomiting, unusual bleeding, breathing difficulty or dehydration should prompt medical attention.”
For patients who do fall ill, financial access to healthcare can be equally important. The latest Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana treatment data record 351 beneficiaries receiving 357 treatments, involving expenditure of ₹89,35,345.
Of these, 250 patients received 256 treatments at P-type hospitals, involving ₹75,02,250, while 101 patients received 101 treatments at G-type hospitals, involving ₹14,28,895. Women accounted for 194 beneficiaries and 199 treatments, while men accounted for 157 beneficiaries and 158 treatments. The largest age group was 31–45 years, with 102 beneficiaries and 105 treatments, followed by those aged 46–60, with 80 beneficiaries and 80 treatments.
Dr Shifali Choudhary added that Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana can reduce the financial hesitation that sometimes delays treatment. “Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is helping people across Punjab seek timely medical care without the immediate burden of arranging treatment expenses. Cashless access can be especially valuable when an illness requires emergency and hospitalisation.”
