Strong support from doctors and private hospitals to Punjab Chief Minister Health Scheme.
Digital Desk, Chandigarh. Taking an important step towards the seamless and smooth launch of Rs 10 lakh cashless health insurance scheme in the state, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Yojana (MMSY). The meeting, organized at the State Health Agency (SHA) Punjab, was attended by representatives of public and private health institutions.
Prominent participants in the meeting included doctors from Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab, Punjab Hospital and Nursing Home Association (PHNA), Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) and representatives of leading private medical colleges. Principal Secretary (Health) Kumar Rahul and SHA Chief Executive Officer Sanyam Aggarwal were also present on the occasion.
Reiterating the Punjab Government's commitment towards collaborative and citizen-centric implementation of the scheme, Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said that MMSY can be made successful only through strict adherence to the guidelines, ethical medical practice and complete transparency. He further said that the objective of the Punjab Government is to ensure that every resident of the state gets quality health services without any financial burden, and this is possible only with honest collaboration between the government, doctors and health institutions.
Dr. Balbir Singh stressed that any deviation from the prescribed standards will not be acceptable and a strict and zero-tolerance policy will be adopted. He clarified that there can be no compromise on ethical conduct and transparency to ensure best services under the scheme. He also said that the Punjab Government views healthcare providers as partners in this transformative initiative and expects the highest professional standards in return.
Representatives of IMA Punjab and PHNA expressed strong support for the scheme and assured full cooperation to expedite the enrollment of beneficiaries. He said that expansion of the network of empaneled hospitals is extremely necessary to provide timely and quality treatment to the patients across the state. Welcoming the adoption of the revised Package Master HBP 2.2, medical institutions said that the updated reimbursement framework will significantly improve the efficiency of hospitals and help in smooth implementation of the scheme.
The meeting was attended by Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana; Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana; Aadesh Medical College, Bathinda; And there was active participation of major private medical institutions including Gyan Sagar Medical College, Patiala. Representatives of these institutions appreciated the Punjab Government for the pro-people approach of MMSY and welcomed the increased reimbursement rates. He called it a positive step towards continued participation of the private sector.
All the private medical colleges present in the meeting expressed keen interest in the scheme and assured that their empanelment processes will be completed in the coming few days to provide prompt services to the beneficiaries.
PCMS doctors also extended full support to the initiative saying that MMSY will not only ensure free and cashless treatment to the public but will also play an important role in strengthening the infrastructure and service capacity of government hospitals across Punjab. During the discussion, suggestions related to incentivizing doctors and health workers involved in the implementation of the scheme were also presented, the aim of which was to increase efficiency and motivation at the implementation level.
The review meeting concluded with a shared commitment by all stakeholders to work in full coordination to make the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Yojana a strong, transparent and people-centric health security guarantee for Punjab.