E-Paper
Over 50 lakh e-health cards issued under CM health scheme: Dr Balbir
Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh said the scheme had covered 24.96 lakh families across the state, and was providing cashless treatment through 868 empanelled government and private hospitals
The Punjab government has issued more than 50.3 lakh e-health cards under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana since its launch in January, with over 5.12 lakh beneficiaries receiving cashless treatment worth ₹914 crore, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in Patiala, the minister said the scheme had covered 24.96 lakh families across the state, and was providing cashless treatment through 868 empanelled government and private hospitals.
Of the total 5.12 lakh treatments provided so far, 2.83 lakh (55%) were carried out in private hospitals and 2.29 lakh (45%) in government hospitals. He said 733 cancer patients had already benefited under the scheme, while beneficiaries had also undergone knee replacement surgeries, angioplasty, heart procedures, dialysis and other major treatments.
According to the latest figures, Ludhiana has issued the highest number of e-health cards at 5.46 lakh, followed by Patiala (4.56 lakh), Jalandhar (3.69 lakh) and Hoshiarpur (3.45 lakh). Patiala and Bathinda have recorded the highest number of treatments under the scheme
‘Govt cracking down on pvt hospitals over misuse’
Highlighting the government’s efforts to curb irregularities, Dr Balbir said the audit mechanism had been strengthened after instances of misuse by some empanelled private hospitals came to light.
He said investigations led to refunds of ₹2.98 lakh to six patients who had been wrongly charged. Besides, 14 private hospitals were found to have uploaded incorrect information, following which the government imposed a penalty of ₹78 lakh. Sarvodaya Hospital, Jalandhar, was also removed from the list of empanelled hospitals for violations.
The minister appealed to beneficiaries to report any hospital that demanded money for cashless treatment, asked patients to purchase medicines or implants from outside or directed them to get diagnostic tests conducted externally. Such complaints can be registered through the state’s 104 health helpline, he said.
Dr Balbir also accused Union health minister JP Nadda of preventing the scheme’s implementation at PGIMER, Chandigarh. He alleged that despite Punjab providing land for the premier institute, the Centre had not allowed PGIMER to be empanelled under the scheme, depriving Punjabis of cashless treatment at the institute.
“The exclusion of PGIMER from the scheme is discriminatory towards the people of Punjab,” he said, adding that the state government had repeatedly urged the Centre to include the institute under the health insurance programme.
