Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana provides 2.44 lakh cashless treatments worth ₹316.50 crore

Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana has provided 2,44,468 cashless treatments under 10 of its most frequently availed medical procedures, with expenditure exceeding ₹316.50 crore, according to data released by the state government on Monday.

The procedures covered under the scheme include chronic haemodialysis, laparoscopic gall bladder surgery, total knee replacement, Caesarean delivery, cardiac interventions, kidney stone treatment and joint replacement surgeries.

The data was released by the State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab. It shows that dialysis accounted for the largest number of treatments among the 10 procedures.

Dialysis, surgery and maternity care

A total of 1,87,656 chronic haemodialysis sessions were provided under the scheme, involving expenditure of more than ₹30.65 crore. The treatment is generally required repeatedly by patients with chronic kidney disease.

Laparoscopic gall bladder surgery was the second most frequently availed procedure, with 17,698 cases reported under the scheme.

The data also recorded 10,751 total knee replacement surgeries. In addition, 9,317 women received cashless Caesarean deliveries.

Cardiac treatment accounted for another significant category. The state reported 8,734 patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) along with diagnostic angiography. A further 554 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

The scheme also covered 5,770 percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures for kidney stones, 2,247 lower ureter surgeries, 911 cementless total hip replacement procedures and 830 radical surgical procedures.

The 10 procedures together account for 2,44,468 treatments, according to the figures released by the government.

Minister highlights cost of treatment

Punjab health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh said the figures represented patients who had received treatment without having to arrange the full cost of hospital procedures themselves.

“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,” Singh said.

He added that the range of procedures covered by the scheme included both treatment for chronic conditions and complex surgeries.

The government said the pattern of utilisation included procedures that can require repeated treatment or involve significant medical costs. Dialysis, for instance, may require several sessions a week, while cardiac procedures and joint replacements involve specialised hospital care.

Scheme covers multiple medical specialities

The latest figures cover procedures across several areas of healthcare, including kidney care, cardiology, orthopaedics, general surgery and maternal healthcare.

The state government said the scheme was intended to provide financial support for eligible patients undergoing covered procedures. However, the statement released on Monday did not specify the total number of beneficiaries under the scheme or the overall expenditure across all procedures.

It also did not provide a time period for the cumulative figures beyond stating that the treatments had been provided under the scheme.

The ₹316.50 crore-plus expenditure figure therefore relates specifically to the 10 most frequently availed procedures cited in the statement, rather than the total spending under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana.

The figures come as Punjab continues to expand coverage of healthcare procedures under the state scheme, with the latest data highlighting dialysis, surgical treatment, cardiac care and maternal healthcare among the areas with significant utilisation.