Politically attractive Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana is economically hollow: Tarun Chugh

Chugh said, “Kejriwal and his party are loudly advertising the false Rs 10-lakh claim, but they have imposed such harsh capping on even the most serious medical procedures that proper treatment becomes impossible. When treatment caps are fixed so low that complete care for critical illnesses cannot be provided, the Rs 10 lakh promise remains nothing more than a paper claim.”

He alleged that the scheme had been deliberately designed to either offer incomplete treatment or force patients to pay heavily from their own pockets.

Referring to Ayushman Bharat, Chugh said the central government’s scheme sets a national benchmark by fixing package rates based on the actual cost of treatment. “In contrast, the MMSBY has imposed extremely low caps on complex procedures like heart surgery, brain surgery and knee replacement, pushing major and credible hospitals away from the scheme and leaving the poor and middle class to suffer.”

Chugh said it took the Mann government 48 months just to announce this scheme, and even now, the government itself admitted that it would take several more months to implement. “The truth is that patients will not get treatment under this scheme, but in an election year, AAP will use public money only for self-promotion and propaganda.”

Raising serious concerns over Punjab’s deteriorating financial condition, Chugh said, “The state is already burdened with debt exceeding Rs 4 lakh crore. Over the past four years, the Mann government has added more than Rs 1 lakh crore of fresh debt, and in the current financial year alone, Punjab must repay Rs 90,000 crore. While the government claims it has no money to pay DA to its employees, it has ample funds for Kejriwal’s helicopter rides.”

Chugh further said, “If even one per cent of families avail benefits under the scheme, the annual expenditure would reach Rs 6,500 crore, while the budget allocation remains negligible. The real debate is not Rs 5 lakh versus Rs 10 lakh, but real insurance versus paper promises.”