Patiala, July 23 : Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh has urged eligible families to immediately obtain their health insurance cards and take full advantage of the Punjab Government’s free health insurance scheme, which provides cashless treatment of up to ₹10 lakh.
The Minister said the scheme offers free medical treatment and surgeries to eligible beneficiaries at both government hospitals and empanelled private hospitals across the state. He emphasized that the initiative is aimed at ensuring quality healthcare without placing any financial burden on patients.
Dr. Balbir Singh warned that the government is taking strict action against private hospitals that illegally charge beneficiaries despite the cashless scheme. He revealed that action has already been taken against 14 private hospitals, with several institutions facing fines worth lakhs of rupees for violating the scheme’s guidelines.
Highlighting the scale of the programme, the Health Minister said that 651 hospitals are currently empanelled under the health insurance scheme. The Punjab Government has released ₹530 crore to these hospitals as reimbursement for treatment provided to beneficiaries.
He appealed to the public to report any hospital that demands money for treatment covered under the scheme. Complaints can be lodged through the 104 health helpline, the concerned Civil Surgeon, or the District Coordinator. If a complaint is found to be genuine, strict legal and administrative action will be taken against the hospital involved.
Dr. Balbir Singh added that the government has already acted on complaints received from several districts, including Amritsar, Pathankot, and Bathinda, where hospitals violating the scheme’s rules have been penalized with heavy fines.
The Minister reiterated the Punjab Government’s commitment to ensuring transparent implementation of the health insurance scheme so that every eligible family can access quality healthcare without financial hardship.
