The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab announced on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 that the state's flagship health coverage scheme, Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, has received an overwhelming response from residents, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann revealing that more than 47 lakh people have already enrolled and obtained their scheme cards.

Sharing the update, CM Mann stated — 'ਹੁਣ ਤੱਕ 47 ਲੱਖ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਲੋਕ ਆਪਣੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਕਾਰਡ ਬਣਵਾ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ' — ('More than 47 lakh people have so far got their Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana cards made'). He added that thousands of beneficiaries are availing treatment under the scheme and receiving better healthcare services 'without any financial burden.'

Context

The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana was launched by the Bhagwant Mann government in 2022 as a state-funded initiative providing cashless secondary and tertiary medical care to eligible Punjab residents. The scheme is designed to shield low-income households from catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure, a persistent problem in Indian public health.

The announcement comes as the scheme crosses a significant enrolment milestone, signalling broad public uptake across the state.

Policy Backdrop

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's push in Punjab mirrors the party's earlier health interventions in Delhi, where mohalla clinics and subsidised treatment became a political signature. Nationally, the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, introduced in 2018, set a precedent for large-scale cashless hospitalisation coverage, and several states have since layered supplementary schemes on top of it.

Punjab's Sehat Yojana operates as such a state-level supplement, extending the coverage net to residents who may fall outside central scheme eligibility criteria or require additional financial protection.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are Punjab's estimated 3 crore-plus population, particularly low- and middle-income households for whom hospitalisation costs can trigger debt or asset liquidation. With 47 lakh cards issued, the scheme has already reached a substantial share of the state's families.

Thousands of cardholders are actively using the scheme for treatment, according to the Chief Minister's Office, reducing dependence on private borrowing or deferred medical care — two common coping mechanisms among uninsured households in India.

What's Next

The Punjab health department's next quarterly utilisation report will be a key indicator of whether enrolment is translating into actual claim volumes and hospitalisation coverage. Observers will also watch for any provisions in the 2027-28 state budget that may expand the scheme's benefit package or raise its coverage ceiling.

If enrolment continues at its current pace, the Sehat Yojana could become one of the larger state-run health insurance programmes in northern India — and a template the AAP is likely to highlight ahead of future electoral cycles in other states.