— HEALTH BUDGET HIKED BY 10%, MEDICAL EDUCATION SEES 27% BOOST UNDER LEADERSHIP OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN
— AAM AADMI CLINICS, FARISHTEY SCHEME & YOGA EXPANSION—PUNJAB’S HOLISTIC HEALTHCARE OVERHAUL
— PUNJAB BECOMES FIRST STATE TO OFFER UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL FAMILIES, SAYS DR BALBIR SINGH
— NEW MEDICAL COLLEGE COMING IN SBS NAGAR: DR BALBIR SINGH
CHANDIGARH, March 26:
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” for the crucial sector. He particularly lauded the decision of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government to cover every citizen of the state under Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna and double the insurance cover from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per family annually.
Pertinently, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema presented the historic ‘Badalda Punjab’ Budget for financial year 2025-26 at Vidhan Sabha here on Tuesday.
The health sector budget has been enhanced by 10 percent, reaching ₹5,598 crores— to strengthen infrastructure, expand Aam Aadmi Clinics, and improve emergency care under the FARISHTEY Scheme, while, the Medical Education and Research has received 27 percent budget increase to ₹1,336 crore.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, while terming the budget as historic and progressive, said that the move to bring all the 65 lakh families of the state under the Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana is a game-changer, which will ensure that no citizen of the Punjab state will ever have to worry about medical expenses again.
As per the information, currently only 45 lakh families are covered under health insurance scheme—16 lakh under the Central government’s Ayushman Bharat and 29 lakh under Punjab’s SSBY.
The Health Minister said that the new budget has removed all eligibility restrictions, extending coverage to every household in the state, regardless of income or location. This is for the first time in Punjab’s history that every single family—urban or rural, rich or poor—will have health security, he added.
He clarified that families enrolled in Central Government’s Ayushman Bharat will too receive an additional ₹5 lakh top-up from the state, bringing their total insurance cover to ₹10 lakh. Additionally, all beneficiaries will receive Sehat Cards, enabling cashless treatment at both government and private empaneled hospitals, he added.
Dr Balbir Singh said that in financial year 2025-26, Punjab Government will also be establishing a new Medical College with 50 MBBS seats at village Barnala Kalan in SBS Nagar.
He said that following the success of “CM Di Yogshala” program, which currently benefitting 1.5 lakh residents through 3200 daily yoga sessions, will now expand to reach two lakh participants.
