Chandigarh: The Punjab government has taken a historic step towards universal health coverage by providing 100% health coverage to the entire population of the state under the “Chief Minister’s Health Scheme.” This information was given by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday.
Coverage up to 10 lakh rupees under the Chief Minister’s Health Scheme
In his address on the first day of the Assembly’s budget session, the Governor said that under this transformative initiative, every family in the state will receive cashless health coverage of up to 10 lakh rupees per year. This includes 2,356 types of medical and surgical procedures.
Governor Kataria informed that this scheme is being implemented through a network of approximately 900 government and empanelled private hospitals in Punjab and Chandigarh, ensuring easy access to quality treatment.
Congress Protest and Walkout
While the Governor was discussing the health initiatives of the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Congress MLAs stormed the well of the House, shouting slogans like “Down with the Punjab Government.”
Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa also objected to the government’s functioning. The Governor asked him to sit down, but he continued speaking. Following this, Congress members staged a walkout.
Recruitment of Doctors and Expansion of Medical Facilities
In his address, the Governor stated that the Punjab government has taken several steps, including increasing seats in medical colleges and recruiting doctors.
He stated that since 2022, the government has recruited 934 doctors for government hospitals, representing approximately 25 percent of the total number of doctors working in the state. Additionally, the process for recruiting and empaneling approximately 400 specialist doctors has been initiated.
Recruitment of approximately 400 nursing personnel has almost been completed, and the recruitment process for an additional 500 positions is underway.
Campaign against Drugs
The Governor stated that the Punjab government has launched the “War on Drugs Against Drugs” campaign. As part of this campaign, 548 Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics are operating across the state.
In addition, 36 government and 177 private de-addiction centers, as well as 19 government and 74 private rehabilitation centers, are also operating. De-addiction services have also been extended to 19 prisons.
According to the Governor, since the launch of these initiatives, more than 10.63 lakh patients have been registered and provided treatment.
He also stated that approximately 90 percent of households in the state have benefited from the free electricity scheme of up to 300 units.