Mohali (Punjab), January 22 (IANS). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday fulfilled its promise of providing free healthcare in Punjab. National convener Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana’ (MMSY) here, under which every family in the state will get free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh.
With the implementation of this scheme, now even the most expensive private hospitals have opened for the poor. This is a decisive change in the delivery of public welfare services.
Under the leadership of the AAP government, Punjab has now become the first state in the country to guarantee free healthcare, free education, free electricity and free bus travel for women. At the same time, Kejriwal stressed that the power-hungry opposition parties are embroiled in internal strife and only AAP can ensure a secure future for Punjab.
On this occasion, Kejriwal and Chief Minister Mann handed over Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana cards to some eligible beneficiaries.
On the occasion of the launch of Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana, Kejriwal said that today is a big and historic day not only for Punjab but for the entire country. The work that is being done in Punjab today, probably should have been done in 1950 itself.
The AAP supremo said that in the last 75 years, many governments have come and gone, but no one truly cared for the people. Big promises were made, but the public was ignored.
He said there was a time when Punjab was plagued by severe terrorism, and then came a period when drugs were rampant. But everything has its time. The phase that Punjab is going through in the last four years will be written in golden letters in the history of Punjab and the country.
Referring to the promises made during the elections, Kejriwal said that when he and the Chief Minister used to campaign, they used to give guarantees. At that time he used to talk about ‘Kejriwal’s guarantee’. One of these was health guarantee, under which free and quality health care would be provided to every citizen of Punjab.
He said that people did not believe it then. He further said that in the last 75 years, the Akali Dal, BJP and Congress governments together opened only 400 primary health centers, while the present government has built 1,000 mohalla clinics in just four years and 500 are under construction.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mann said that this scheme has been started for the welfare of every section of the society, inspired by the teachings of the Gurus.
He said health cards would be issued to all 65 lakh families, covering nearly three crore residents of Punjab.
Chief Minister Mann said that with the launch of this scheme today, Punjab has set a new example for the entire country. He emphasized that Punjab has now become the first state to provide free healthcare, free education, free electricity and free bus travel for women.
–IANS
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