CHANDIGARH: Terming the Mukhyamantri Sehat Insurance Scheme as misleading, impractical and entirely publicity-driven, the Punjab BJP on Wednesday alleged that the the biggest lie of this scheme is the promise of Rs 10 lakh health security.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said the reality is that the scheme provides actual insurance of only Rs. 1 lakh per family, while the remaining Rs. 9 lakh is left to the mercy of a debt-ridden Punjab government. He questioned where this Rs. 9 lakh will come from when the state is already struggling financially.
Chugh further claimed that while the AAP is loudly advertising the 'false' Rs 10 lakh claim, they have imposed such harsh capping on even the most serious medical procedures that proper treatment becomes impossible. "When treatment caps are fixed so low that complete care for critical illnesses cannot be provided, the Rs. 10 lakh promise remains nothing more than a paper claim. The scheme has been deliberately designed to either offer incomplete treatment or force patients to pay heavily from their own pockets," he alleged.
Referring to Ayushman Bharat, Chugh said the central government’s scheme sets a national benchmark by fixing package rates based on the actual cost of treatment. In contrast, the Mukhyamantri Sehat Scheme has imposed extremely low caps on complex procedures like heart surgery, brain surgery and knee replacement, pushing major and credible hospitals away from the scheme and leaving the poor and middle class to suffer.
Chugh claimed that it took the Bhagwant Mann government 48 months just to announce this scheme, and even now the government itself admits it will take several more months to implement. He alleged that the truth is that patients will not get treatment under this scheme, but in an election year, the AAP will use public money only for self-promotion and propaganda.
Raising serious concerns over Punjab’s deteriorating financial condition, Chugh said the state is already burdened with debt exceeding Rs. 4 lakh crore. "Over the last four years, the AAP government has added more than Rs. 1 lakh crore of fresh debt, and in the current financial year alone, Punjab must repay Rs 90,000 crore," he said, adding that while the government claims it has no money to pay DA to its employees, it has ample funds for helicopter rides.
Chugh further alleged that if even 1 per cent of families avail benefits under the scheme, the annual expenditure would reach Rs. 6,500 crore, while the budget allocation remains negligible. He concluded by saying that the real debate is not Rs. 5 lakh versus Rs. 10 lakh, but real insurance versus paper promises. "While Ayushman Bharat provides genuine, pre-insured protection, the AAP’s Mukhyamantri Sehat Scheme rests on hollow claims and weak foundations," he said.