Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna: Punjab Health Minister Calls Budget a Game-Changer as Punjab Doubles Insurance Cover to ₹10L, Extends Scheme to Every Punjabi
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Health Budget Hiked by 10%, Medical Education Sees 27% Boost Under Leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann
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Aam Aadmi Clinics, Farishtey Scheme & Yoga Expansion — Punjab’s Holistic Healthcare Overhaul
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Punjab Becomes First State to Offer Universal Health Insurance for All Families, Says Dr Balbir Singh
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New Medical College Coming in SBS Nagar: Dr Balbir Singh
Chandigarh, March 26, 2025:
In a pathbreaking move to ensure universal access to quality healthcare services, Punjab Health and Medical Education and Research Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Tuesday hailed the enhanced budget allocation in the health and medical education sectors as “transformational.” He particularly praised the decision of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government to cover every citizen of the state under the Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna and double the insurance cover from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh per family annually.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema presented the historic ‘Badalta Punjab’ Budget for the financial year 2025-26 at Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
The health sector budget has been increased by 10%, reaching ₹5,598 crore, to strengthen infrastructure, expand Aam Aadmi Clinics, and improve emergency care under the Farishtey Scheme. Additionally, the medical education and research sector has received a 27% budget increase to ₹1,336 crore.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh termed the budget as historic and progressive, stating that the move to bring all 65 lakh families of the state under the Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna is a game-changer. He emphasized that this initiative will ensure that no citizen in Punjab will have to worry about medical expenses.
Currently, only 45 lakh families are covered under health insurance — 16 lakh under the Central Government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme and 29 lakh under Punjab’s SSBY. The new budget has removed all eligibility restrictions, extending coverage to every household in the state, regardless of income or location. For the first time in Punjab’s history, every single family — urban or rural, rich or poor — will have health security.
Dr Balbir Singh further clarified that families enrolled in Ayushman Bharat will receive an additional ₹5 lakh top-up from the state, bringing their total insurance cover to ₹10 lakh. All beneficiaries will be issued Sehat Cards for cashless treatment at both government and private empaneled hospitals.
In a significant development, the Health Minister also announced that the Punjab Government will establish a new medical college with 50 MBBS seats at Barnala Kalan in SBS Nagar in the financial year 2025-26.
Additionally, following the success of the "CM Di Yogshala" program, which currently benefits 1.5 lakh residents through 3,200 daily yoga sessions, the initiative will now be expanded to reach two lakh participants, further promoting a healthy lifestyle across the state.