Punjab Health Minister reviews functioning of health insurance scheme with top officials

Chandigarh, November 18, 2019: Witnessing over-whelming response to the SSBY (Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna), now more than 1000 patients are daily getting free of cost secondary besides tertiary treatment services from the empanelled hospitals in the State.
The Health Minister Mr.Balbir Singh Sidhu, who on Monday morning reviewed the functioning of the health insurance scheme with top officials, disclosed that after registering higher footfall of patients in the empanelled private & government hospitals, he issued instructions to the State Health Agency to expedite the process of generating e-cards in Common Service Centres and Hospitals. He also said that it is also a remarkable achievement of Health Department that more than 36,85,818 e-cards have been issued to the eligible beneficiaries in 3 months, in which District Ludhiana has topped in Punjab by generating 3,69,429 E- Cards under SSBY.
Revealing categorically about patients covered under this scheme, he said that out of 57,641 patients, 900 patients got heart surgeries and 556 got knee replacement surgeries done. He said that with 5,475 patients, District Patiala leads the States in facilitating highest number of claims of the patients. He said that benefits of about Rs. 67.56 cr. have been provided to the patients till date.

The Minister further said that a beneficiary would only be considered eligible after being issued the e-card number and awareness camps are also being organised by the Health Department to motivate the people to get their e-cards made from the common service centres and hospitals. He said that instructions have been issued to the Civil Surgeons in this regard so that maximum numbers of patients would get the benefits of Health Insurance Scheme.
Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu also said that Chief Minister Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh had launched this flagship scheme on 20th August, 2019. Notably, the Central Government had only entitled the families identified in the SECC Census (2011) while Chief Minister had given in principle approval to extend the cover of this welfare scheme to 5 more categories namely Smart Ration card holders, Small Traders, J-form holder farmers, Small and Marginal farmers and Accredited and Yellow card holder Journalists.
To ensure the secondary and tertiary healthcare services at door step of people, the Minister said that besides 204 Government Hospitals, 402 private hospitals are empanelled under this scheme. He said that around 27 more Private hospitals got approval from the State Empanelment Committee.

HEALTH MINISTER BALBIR SINGH SIDHU HANDS OVER APPOINTMENT LETTERS TO 74 MEDICAL LAB TECHNICIANS
Chandigarh, November 18, 2019: Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab S.Balbir Singh Sidhu here today gave away appointment letters to Medical Laboratory Technician (Grade-2) in the office of D.H.S. Punjab, Sector 34, Chandigarh. During the event Director Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Avneet Kaur, Political Secretary to Health Minister & Director Cooperative Bank, Mohali Mr. Harkesh Chand Sharma and Dr. Balwinder Singh OSD to Health Minister were present.
S. Balbir Singh Sidhu informed that a total of 74 MLTs under Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab have been handed over appointment letters and the remaining vacant posts will also be filled soon. He welcomed the newly appointed MLTs and exhorted them to do their duties with sincerity & devotion. He said that serving the public and patients should be their priority.
On this occasion, Director of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Avneet Kaur apprised the newly appointed staff about the health services & schemes and asked them to do their work with full honesty and dedication.