Bhagwant Mann Govt Expands Sehat Yojana, Adds 17 Procedures; Cashless Cover Extended to People Living Alone

The Punjab government has widened the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana by authorising 17 extra procedures in empanelled private hospitals and by adding residents living alone to the beneficiary list, a twin step expected to ease crowds at public hospitals and bring cashless health insurance cover closer to many more patients.

Health minister Dr. Balbir Singh said the move would especially support districts where government hospitals face heavy rush and limited specialist services. "This is expected to reduce pressure on major government facilities, shorten waiting times, and improve access to timely care," he said, underlining that patients will now have a wider choice of treatment centres.

Broader Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana coverage for single residents

Alongside new clinical packages, eligibility rules under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana have changed to include people who live alone, such as senior citizens, widows and others staying independently, as well as parents whose children are settled abroad, addressing a long-standing gap in the state’s universal health insurance scheme.

Earlier, the health insurance programme covered only households with at least two members, effectively excluding single-person homes. Under the revised policy, these independent residents can register as separate units, bringing them under the same cashless treatment shield already available to many multi-member families in Punjab.

New medical procedures under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana in private hospitals

The government has cut the list of procedures reserved solely for public hospitals, allowing 17 additional treatments to shift to empanelled private facilities under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, a change that expands the number of accessible service points and is expected to reduce travel and waiting time for many patients.

General Surgery sees the largest expansion within the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana package list. Hydrocele operations, incision and drainage of abscesses, appendicectomy, plus both open and laparoscopic gall bladder surgeries are now permitted at empanelled private hospitals, giving patients more options when government wards are crowded or far from home.

Speciality care boost under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana scheme

Ear, Nose and Throat services under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana now include fracture setting of the nasal bone and adenoidectomy at empanelled private centres, which is important for children needing quick attention and for accident cases where early intervention can prevent complications and reduce repeated visits.

Women’s healthcare packages within the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana have also widened. The list now covers medical termination of pregnancy beyond 12 weeks, hysterotomy, hospitalisation for antenatal complications, and examination under anaesthesia for minor girls, unmarried sexually inactive women and survivors of sexual abuse, aiming to make sensitive care more reachable and timely.

Eye, bone and cost structure in Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana

Ophthalmology and orthopaedics under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana gain fresh options too. Pterygium excision and entropion correction are now allowed in empanelled private eye units, while orthopaedic patients can access tendon release operations, treatment for small-joint injuries and corrective ankle fracture surgeries, with package rates ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹27,800.

To join the expanded Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana network, applicants must submit a Punjab Aadhaar and Voter Identity card; those below 18 years need birth certificates, and single residents must file a declaration of independent living, which local elected representatives will verify before authorities approve inclusion in the health insurance rolls.

According to the State health agency, nearly 65 lakh families are already enrolled under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, which currently includes 824 hospitals—covering government, central government and empanelled private institutions—and around 2,300 diseases and procedures, positioning the scheme as a key source of cashless treatment for a growing share of Punjab’s population.