Punjab cites infant pneumonia case to highlight rollout of Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna

State says the scheme is reducing delays in emergency treatment by removing upfront payment and approval hurdles for families

Punjab has cited the treatment of a one-year-old child with pneumonia in Sri Muktsar Sahib as an example of how its Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna is being used to provide cashless medical care without upfront payment or procedural delays.

According to the state government, the child, Khwaish, was admitted to an empanelled private facility, Deep Hospital, where treatment began immediately as the family already held a Sehat Card under the scheme. The government said the family did not have to arrange money in advance or wait for administrative clearance before the hospital initiated treatment.

The case has been presented by the health department as an illustration of how financial access can affect outcomes in emergency care, particularly for infants and young children. In such cases, even short delays in admission or treatment can increase medical risk.

Punjab health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh said the objective of the scheme was to ensure that treatment decisions are not held up by financial or administrative barriers. “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna ensures that treatment is not delayed by financial or administrative hurdles. In cases like this, where a young child required urgent care, even a short delay can have serious consequences. The scheme removes that risk entirely,” he said.

The state government also said similar cases are being reported from districts including Sangrur and Mansa, where newborns and infants requiring specialised treatment, including care related to low birth weight and other critical conditions, are receiving medical attention under the scheme. It did not provide a district-wise or category-wise break-up of such cases.

The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna offers cashless health coverage of up to ₹10 lakh per family annually. The scheme is available at empanelled government and private hospitals and covers a defined list of medical packages and procedures. According to official figures released by the state, more than 26 lakh Sehat Cards have been issued so far, with treatment accessible across more than 900 empanelled hospitals and over 2,300 medical packages.

From a public policy standpoint, the scheme is positioned as an effort to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure at the point of care, especially in urgent cases where treatment can be delayed if families are required to mobilise funds first. Such delays are a recurring challenge in low- and middle-income households seeking hospital care, particularly for neonatal and paediatric conditions.

Punjab has in recent months placed greater emphasis on enrolment and utilisation of the Sehat Card network, presenting it as part of a broader effort to improve last-mile access to healthcare. The latest case is being used by the government to argue that the scheme’s design allows hospitals to begin treatment first, rather than linking admission to the family’s immediate liquidity or completion of multiple verification steps.

The government has continued to encourage residents to enrol for the Sehat Card at designated centres so they can avail of cashless treatment benefits when required. The broader test of the scheme, however, will lie in sustained enrolment, hospital participation, claims processing and the extent to which it reduces the financial burden of care for households over time.