‘We Just Kept Going’: A Punjab Family’s Journey Through Cancer, Debt, Fears, And A Government Health Scheme

Baljeet Kaur's cancer treatment, including surgery, was largely funded by Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana and Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, preventing financial disaster for her family in Patiala.

When doctors at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Sangrur declared that 65-year-old Baljeet Kaur had uterine cancer that had spread to the liver and lungs, her family feared the worst. The disease was advanced. The estimated treatment cost crossed 8 lakh rupees. For Patiala resident and driver Gurpinder Jeet Singh, such a bill felt impossible.

The turning point came when hospital staff informed Gurpinder about the 'Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna' under the Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana umbrella. After quick registration, a message arrived on the mobile phone, and the smart card was issued. From that moment, the state took charge of the major medical expenses linked to treatment.

Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna and Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana support

Under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna and Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana, Baljeet Kaur’s complex treatment, including surgery and medicines, was provided without charge. Specialists at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital calculated that the full course crossed 8 lakh rupees. Gurpinder still bought a few specific medicines, yet the heavy hospital bills were largely absorbed by the scheme.

Doctors at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital described Baljeet Kaur’s condition as highly challenging. The cancer had not remained limited to the uterus. It had already advanced towards the liver and lungs. The medical team first attempted three chemotherapy cycles. However, weakness and side effects troubled Baljeet Kaur, so doctors adjusted the dosage and then gave nine more chemotherapy sessions.

Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana and critical surgery

Once the tumour reduced and concentrated in one area, senior surgeon Dr. Shivalli and the team planned a major operation under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna and Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana coverage. The surgery lasted around eight hours. Doctors made a long incision, leaving about 35 to 40 stitches on Baljeet Kaur’s body, and shifted Baljeet Kaur to the intensive care unit afterwards.

Baljeet Kaur spent two to three days in the ICU and on a ventilator as doctors closely watched vital signs. Gradually, the condition improved. The long scar and many stitches marked a difficult fight, yet post-surgery reports showed progress. After weeks of hospital care, the woman who had once stopped eating began regaining strength and returned home alive.

The story began nearly five months earlier, when Baljeet Kaur suddenly lost interest in food and drink. Initial local tests and medicines brought no change. Visits to private hospitals and Rajindra Hospital in Patiala increased the worry and cost. Early investigations alone consumed around 60,000 to 65,000 rupees, far beyond what a driver with limited income could manage without loans.

With debt rising, Gurpinder feared that cancer and poverty together would claim the mother’s life. The diagnosis at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Sangrur felt like a shock. Gurpinder wondered how any parent could be saved when there was “not a single coin” left in the pocket. That was the stage at which Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna and Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana entered the picture.

Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana and family impact

Throughout these months, two-children father Gurpinder stayed beside the hospital bed. From massaging the head in the ward to handing over medicines on time, Gurpinder tried to support Baljeet Kaur every hour. Gurpinder later said that without the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna and Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana cover, saving the mother’s life would have been impossible for the family.

Remembering those days, Gurpinder expressed relief with one simple line: “अब सुकून है कि मां बिना इलाज के नहीं मरेगी”. The family now visits the hospital in Mullanpur for follow-up consultations. For Gurpinder, the experience is not just a medical success story. It represents a rescued household, where government assistance, hospital care and personal devotion together allowed Baljeet Kaur to outlive a severe cancer scare. With AI inputs.