So far, 1.6L people availed free treatment under ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana’: Minister

Patiala: Punjab health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh on Wednesday said 1.60 lakh people had so far availed free treatment worth Rs 191 crore under the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana'.The health scheme launched by the Punjab govt provides free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh. The ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana' is "proving to be a boon for the people of Punjab", said the minister."Punjab's health model is now being replicated across the country," said Dr Balbir Singh. Over the last four years, the Aam Aadmi Party govt prioritised health, education and employment, he added.The transformation of Govt Rajindra Hospital and Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala marked the beginning of a health revolution in Punjab. The govt has achieved unprecedented success in the health sector during the last four years, claimed the minister.He further said under the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana', health cards were to be issued to 65 lakh families, covering around three crore people. So far, 25 lakh cards have been issued. Dr Balbir Singh appealed to the public to get their health cards made proactively rather than waiting for illness.He also mentioned that nine new medical colleges were being established in the state, including the facilities at Fatehgarh Sahib and ESI Ludhiana, which are already operational.Upcoming colleges at Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Sangrur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Lehragaga, Malerkotla and Ludhiana will add 600 new MBBS seats, the minister informed while claiming the shortage of human resources in medical education was addressed, and promotions were granted to professors.Equipment worth Rs 200 crore is being procured for all govt medical colleges to strengthen infrastructure, and 22 critical care blocks with 50 beds each are being set up across districts. Along with free medicines, diagnostic services are also being expanded, he said."MRI facilities will be made available in all district hospitals this year. CT scan facilities in eight more hospitals, and seven maternal and child hospitals with 250 beds each, will be made operational soon. Over 200 empanelled private diagnostic centres are also providing X-ray and ultrasound services. Under AI-enabled screening in five districts, 9,294 women were examined, and eight cases of breast cancer and 43 cases of cervical cancer were detected. AI-enabled eye screening of 1.07 lakh people revealed vision issues in 21,660 individuals," Dr Balbir Singh added.The minister also said under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign, the govt reduced the demand for drugs and broke supply chains, while also creating strong infrastructure for free treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts.He said skill development initiatives for recovering addicts and expansion of clinics in jails were also undertaken by the govt.Dr Balbir Singh said 883 Aam Aadmi Clinics provided free treatment to 1.69 crore people through more than five crore OPD consultations. "The ‘CM di Yogshala' project benefited around 2 lakh people daily through 8,000 yoga sessions. Around 948 general doctors and 627 super-specialist doctors were recruited, marking the largest medical recruitment in Punjab's history," he emphasised.The minister announced that IVF services will soon be offered in government medical colleges in Patiala, Amritsar, and Faridkot, and that PET scan facilities will be introduced in Mohali and other govt medical colleges.He said advanced procedures such as cochlear implants, liver and kidney transplants, and surgeries related to heart, brain and spine were also being conducted in these hospitals.All operation theatres at Govt Rajindra Hospital were upgraded to modular OTs, and a trauma centre was under construction, he said, adding that the govt's main objective was to ensure quality healthcare to all three crore residents of the state and to make govt hospitals at par with the private hospitals.Dr Balbir Singh also highlighted that ‘Mission Amrit' was launched across 23 districts of the state to ensure timely treatment for heart attack patients. He said 29,000 patients with chest pain were enrolled under the initiative, and 800 patients received emergency cardiac care.Under the ‘Punjab Stroke Project', an AI-enabled stroke management system was introduced through a hub-and-spoke model, benefiting 100 patients so far, with treatment provided to 40 patients, the minister added.He also said mental health support was being provided across the state through the ‘Tele-MANAS' helpline number 14416.MSID:: 129800976 413 |