Chandigarh-Aam Aadmi Party National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hailed the launch of the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna as a historic step towards achieving universal healthcare in Punjab, asserting that no citizen will now have to skip treatment due to financial constraints.
Addressing the gathering after the official launch of the scheme, Kejriwal lauded Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for introducing the landmark initiative, which will provide every family in Punjab access to *cashless medical treatment up to ₹10 lakh per year* at government and empanelled private hospitals.
“Today marks a red-letter day for Punjab’s healthcare system, ” said Kejriwal, adding, “This is the first time in India that a state has extended such comprehensive cashless healthcare coverage to its entire population of three crore people, without any income or category restrictions.”
Criticizing past regimes, Kejriwal said that such initiatives should have been implemented decades ago, but successive governments failed to prioritize the well-being of the common man. “Those who talk of making India a Vishwaguru have never addressed the basic needs of its citizens like health and education, ” he said.
Drawing comparisons with developed nations such as Singapore, Germany, and Japan, the AAP leader said those countries advanced because they invested in healthcare and education. “Providing accessible, quality healthcare is real nation-building, ” he emphasized.
He noted that Punjab has already opened *881 Aam Aadmi Clinics* offering free primary care, with 200 more to be launched soon. The newly launched Sehat Yojna, which will roll out fully from *October 2, will complement these efforts. Camps will be held across the state for enrollment, and citizens can register through **Seva Kendras, CSCs, or online portals* using Aadhaar or Voter ID.
Kejriwal added that the previous healthcare coverage was limited to ₹5 lakh for selected families, but now *every citizen—including government employees and pensioners—will be entitled to ₹10 lakh coverage annually*, with no exclusions.
“This scheme is an embodiment of the spirit of Sarbat da Bhala as taught by our Gurus, ” Kejriwal said, reiterating that the AAP government has imposed no new taxes for this scheme. “We’ve curbed corruption and revenue leakage and are redirecting those savings into pro-people policies.”
Under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann, Punjab is becoming a model state, he claimed, offering *free healthcare, education, electricity, and bus travel* to its people. “This is just the beginning—many more people-centric reforms are on the way, ” Kejriwal concluded.