- A 37-year-old woman recovered after a cashless heart procedure under MMSY
- Doctors found a 22 mm atrial septal defect causing abnormal blood flow in her heart
- A 24-mm device was implanted via a minimally invasive procedure on May 5, 2026
A 37-year-old woman from Bathinda has recovered after a successful heart procedure under the Punjab government's Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY).
Gurpreet Kaur had been living for years with an undetected heart condition. Doctors at AIIMS Bathinda later found that she had a large hole in her heart, known as an atrial septal defect (ASD), measuring 22 mm.
"The condition was causing abnormal blood flow and placing strain on the organ. Left untreated, it could have led to serious complications, including heart failure," doctors said.
"My first thought was about the financial burden. I worried about how we would pay for the treatment. It felt like our family was standing at a crossroads," Gurpreet recalled.
Doctors at AIIMS Bathinda then recommended a specialised procedure to fix the defect. On May 5, 2026, a 24-mm device was implanted through a minimally invasive procedure to seal the hole in her heart.
Gurpreet's husband said the family could do nothing but pray until doctors informed them that the operation had been successful.
"We could do nothing except pray. Every minute felt longer than the last. When the doctors finally came out and told us everything had gone well, it felt as though a mountain had been lifted from our shoulders," he said.
The treatment, which cost around Rs 1 lakh, was covered under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, which provides cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh per family every year. "The procedure was completed without complications, and Gurpreet is now recovering well," Gurpreet's husband said.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, "No family should be denied quality treatment because of financial hardship. Gurpreet's recovery shows how timely medical care and financial protection can save lives.”
Launched by the Bhagwant Mann government, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana provides eligible families with cashless medical treatment worth up to Rs 10 lakh annually. More than 45 lakh people have registered so far across Punjab.
According to data from the state health agency, 1.75 lakh patients have benefited under the scheme and received over 3.43 lakh treatments. The government has spent Rs 581.90 crore on cashless healthcare services under the programme.
