CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government is all set to launch its universal health insurance scheme on Tuesday, which ensures cashless treatment worth Rs 10 lakh per family.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today announced to begin the process for registration of people under the ambitious Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna aimed at giving comprehensive healthcare to the people.
Interacting with the media persons here today, CM Mann said that the registration for the scheme to provide Rs 10 lakh cashless treatment to the people will begin in two districts of Barnala and Tarn Taran from Tuesday (September 23).
He said that the process for registration will be launched as a pilot project and will be completed in 10 to 12 days, for which camps will be organised in around 128 places in each of these districts. Based on the feedback, if any improvements are needed in the process, they will be duly incorporated.
He said that this is a historic and first-of-its-kind scheme launched for the welfare of the people in the state. He also said that all the people in these districts can apply for the Chief Minister’s Health Card, and during the camps, no one has to travel far from home to register for the card.
He said that before the camps are organised, the entire area will be informed through public announcements to ensure everyone knows about the camps.
Mann said that the applicants only need to bring their Aadhaar card, Voter ID, and a passport-size photo to the camp, and no other documents will be required.
Subsequently, Mann said that the registration for this scheme will begin across Punjab and once it is completed throughout the state, it will be officially launched.
He said that every Punjabi will be able to benefit from Rs 10 lakhs of health insurance using the Chief Minister’s Health Card, allowing everyone to access free, cashless treatment.
He said that Government employees, ASHA workers, and Anganwadi workers will also be included in the scheme.
Mann said that every family will receive Rs 10 lakhs of health insurance, there will be no limit on the number of family members, every citizen will receive the Chief Minister’s Health Card, enabling cashless treatment, and treatment will be available in all government and empanelled private hospitals.
He said that over 2,000 health procedures and surgeries will be included in the scheme and Punjab is the first state in the country to offer health coverage of up to Rs 10 lakhs.
He envisioned that this historic initiative of Punjab will set an example for the entire nation to provide universal healthcare to all the residents of the state.
Mann said that like free electricity, this facility will also be available to all the residents of the state, adding that the promise of excellent healthcare made to the people is being fulfilled today.
Dwelling on another issue, Mann said that 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics have been opened in the last three years to impart quality health services to people, and the number of these clinics will soon cross 1,000.
He said that the availability of medicines in government hospitals has increased from 30% to nearly 100%, and the number of people benefiting from primary government health services has increased from 34 lakh to 1.08 crore.
Mann said that the Union government is habitual of eating its own words every time after the scheme launched by them fails miserably.
Citing an example, he said that GST was raised with a big bang but now has been rolled back with the same speed, adding that if GST was beneficial at that time, why has it been taken back now.
He said that before taking any action on GST, the centre must give back the legitimate share of the states, pending with them, back to the states.
Urging the BJP leaders to refrain from politicising the issue of floods, Mann dared state BJP Chief Sunil Jakhar to do his homework before issuing any statement.
He said that rejected leaders spit venom against him just to appease their political bosses, adding that the statements issued by these leaders are in fact, dictated by their high command.
However, he said that these leaders should better check their facts before issuing any statement on the sensitive issues.
Mann said that a Medical College will be constructed at Sangrur to impart quality health services to the people, for which the state government will identify some other land.
Slamming the SGPC for denying land for the construction of the college, he bemoaned that the SGPC was merely a puppet in the hands of Badal family and all its actions are dictated by them.
He said that SGPC would have certainly given the land if the Badal family had desired to construct a college.
Reiterating that no ration card in the state will be deleted, Mann said that they have sought six month’s time from the Union government in wake of the recent floods to verify these cards.
He assailed the rationale being used to delete ration cards, which includes ownership of four-wheelers, government jobs, small landholdings, and income. He pointed out the absurdity of penalising entire families when just one member may fulfil one of these criteria.