Political tensions are escalating in Punjab over the state government’s health insurance scheme that provides coverage of up to ₹10 lakh, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing opposition leaders of deliberately spreading misinformation to defame the initiative.
According to AAP Punjab, certain opposition leaders are highlighting isolated incidents to create confusion among the public, despite the scheme benefiting citizens on a large scale. The party claimed that more than 1.72 lakh patients have already received medical treatment worth ₹292 crore under the scheme, demonstrating its effectiveness and public impact.
The controversy intensified after a video surfaced questioning the implementation of the scheme. Responding swiftly, Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh clarified that the hospital mentioned in the video was not empanelled under the government program.
He stated that over 600 private hospitals are officially registered under the scheme and treatment facilities are available only at these approved institutions. The minister criticized opposition leaders for sharing information without verifying facts, calling such actions irresponsible and misleading.
Dr. Singh further explained that hospital empanelment under the scheme is voluntary, and no hospital can be forced to join. Therefore, citing cases related to non-empanelled hospitals to portray the scheme as unsuccessful is factually incorrect.
Highlighting the benefits of the program, the health minister said that expensive medical procedures such as heart surgeries, brain operations, joint replacement surgeries, and emergency accident treatments are being provided free of cost, offering significant financial relief to ordinary families.
The political exchange continued as AAP’s chief spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also criticized opposition leaders, alleging that they failed to understand the basic structure of government welfare schemes. He added that spreading misinformation not only confuses people but also attempts to weaken a program designed to support lakhs of economically weaker families.
The issue has now turned into a major political debate in Punjab, with both sides trading accusations over the implementation and transparency of the healthcare initiative.
