Over 68,000 Kidney Patients on Lifeline Dialysis alongside Cancer, Cardiac & Paralysis Cases Fully Covered
Chandigarh News (April 5): The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann is reshaping access to healthcare in Punjab by ensuring that treatment is no longer dictated by a family’s financial capacity. From critical neonatal care to complex surgeries and lifelong chronic treatments, the scheme is providing timely, cashless medical support to lakhs of families across Punjab.
When a premature baby was born at AIIMS Bathinda weighing under 1.5 kg and required mechanical ventilation to survive, his parents had only one responsibility, to stay by his side. The ₹4.35 lakh treatment cost was borne entirely by the Punjab Government. Across Punjab, over 2 lakh families have experienced similar relief, where treatment began immediately without loans, mortgages, or desperate calls for financial help.
The scheme has delivered over ₹300 crore in cashless healthcare, covering more than 2 lakh treatments, including over 40,000 surgical procedures, through a network of more than 900 empanelled government and private hospitals. Each of these numbers represents a family that did not have to choose between health and financial survival.
Among the most commonly availed treatments are dialysis, cardiac procedures, orthopaedic surgeries, cancer care, and treatments for diabetes-related complications and respiratory illnesses, reflecting the scheme’s wide clinical coverage.
In one case, Navdeep Khan, diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves leading to sudden paralysis, underwent treatment costing ₹4.6 lakh at a hospital in Bathinda without paying anything. His case underscores that the scheme is not limited to routine procedures but extends to severe and unpredictable medical emergencies.
Chronic kidney disease presents a relentless challenge, requiring dialysis multiple times every week for life. Under the scheme, over 68,000 kidney patients across Punjab are being sustained through continuous dialysis treatment, with expenditure exceeding ₹14 crore. Without such support, families would face an impossible choice between financial ruin and survival.
Cancer care under the scheme has also been extensive, with over 14,000 treatments including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical oncology delivered at a total cost exceeding ₹35 crore, ensuring that patients receive uninterrupted care through all stages of treatment.
Similarly, advanced cardiac care has been made accessible. A highly complex double-switch cardiac operation with tricuspid valve repair at PGIMER Chandigarh, among the most technically demanding heart surgeries in India, was fully covered at ₹4.41 lakh. In the private sector, such procedures typically cost between ₹5 lakh and ₹8 lakh. Overall, more than 5,700 cardiac procedures, including angioplasties and permanent pacemaker implantations, have been carried out under the scheme, with total cardiac expenditure exceeding ₹47 crore.
On this, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Balbir Singh said, “Dialysis, heart disease, cancer, these are not conditions that can wait. In just the past months, this scheme has funded over 68,000 dialysis sessions for kidney patients. That is not a statistic. That is 68,000 families who slept without fear. Under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, we are ensuring that treatment is guided by medical need, not a family’s bank balance.”
A significant indicator of the scheme’s impact is the growing volume of non-surgical and follow-up care. Patients are not entering the system only during emergencies but are continuing treatment over time. This reflects a behavioural shift, where people are seeking care earlier instead of delaying it due to financial constraints. This shift marks one of the most meaningful outcomes of the scheme.
The Bhagwant Mann Government continues to encourage residents to enrol for the Sehat Card at designated centres and through on-ground camps, enabling wider access to cashless treatment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna.
