25 February, 2026 – Chandigarh : The Punjab Government has withdrawn the system of deploying youth volunteers for mobilising beneficiaries under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana after concerns that the move was being viewed as politically motivated.
So far, 10 lakh persons have registered for health cards against a target of three crore beneficiaries.
When the scheme was launched last month, youth club volunteers, called Sehat Mitras, were tasked with visiting households to guide residents on required documents for enrolment at common service centres. Officials said some persons perceived the outreach as political mobilisation ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, leading to hesitation among beneficiaries.
The government has now authorised village-level entrepreneurs at common service centres to handle registrations directly. In urban areas, deputy commissioners are organising camps through Sewa Kendras.
In emergencies, any eligible person visiting one of the 900 empanelled government or private hospitals can be issued a health card on producing a valid Aadhaar card and voter ID with a Punjab address. The hospital’s SMO or Medical Superintendent must certify eligibility.
Officials said the cards do not carry photographs of the Chief Minister or other leaders, as the scheme was partly funded by the Centre under Ayushman Bharat, which provided Punjab Rs 150 crore annually.
The scheme expands coverage beyond the 20 lakh families under Ayushman Bharat. The state had already extended cover to 30 lakh additional families and is now adding 15 lakh more.
Each family is entitled to health insurance cover of up to Rs 10 lakh annually. The government plans to allocate Rs 1,200 crore in the next Budget. The insurance premium is Rs 1,276 per family per Rs 1 lakh sum insured.
The Tribune