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Punjab govt to roll out health insurance cover for all citizens, says health minister Brahm Mohindra
Health minister says policy is being drafted and CM Amarinder will soon chair a meeting to finalise it.
With the existing health insurance policy of the Punjab government having failed to yield results, health and family welfare minister Brahm Mohindra on Friday announced to bring a new universal health insurance scheme covering all citizens of the state, thereby fulfilling a promise made in the election manifesto of the ruling Congress.
Taking lesson from the mistakes made in the existing policy wherein big private hospitals could make huge profits, forcing insurances companies to back down, the health department has decided to empanel the government-run hospitals for treating insurance-covered patients, he said.
Speaking at seminar at the Punjabi University here, Mohindra said, “The intent of the government is very clear — to provide cost-effective quality health services to all. And this can’t be achieved without strengthening government hospitals.”
‘Private hospitals making huge profits’
He said the existing health insurance policy failed to yield desired results, as most of the empanelled institutions are either private hospitals or medical colleges, which made maximum benefits out of it, forcing the insurances companies to withdraw from the scheme. “The policy is being drafted and the CM will soon chair a meeting to finalise it,” the minister said.
“To begin with, below poverty line (BPL) families to be covered under the policy, but later all residents of the state will be covered.”
‘GOVT TO OPEN 5 NEW MEDICAL COLLEGES’
He said the government plans to open five new medical colleges under the public sector.
