Punjab’s public hospitals are recording a sharp increase in bone, joint and trauma care, with orthopaedic treatments becoming a major part of government health services under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, which has already funded procedures worth more than ₹84 crore in a span of around four months.
Data from the State Health Agency shows that this spending on orthopaedic procedures reflects both higher demand for surgeries and wider access to specialist care. Government facilities, including district and teaching hospitals, are delivering cashless treatment for complex cases that once forced families into heavy debt or delayed care.
Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana orthopaedic treatments in Punjab
Punajb’s enrolment under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana has crossed 45 lakh registrations, highlighting extensive use of cashless care. Within this, Ludhiana district has reported more than 4.8 lakh beneficiaries, while Patiala has recorded around 4.1 lakh beneficiaries, indicating strong reliance on the scheme in major urban centres.
Within orthopaedic services covered by the scheme, knee replacement surgeries account for the largest share of procedures. These are followed by hip operations and a significant number of fracture fixation cases using plates, nails and other implants, now routinely handled in district and tertiary hospitals under cashless coverage.
Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana orthopaedic treatments and changing health patterns in Punjab
The growing caseload signals a wider shift in Punjab’s disease pattern, with degenerative joint disorders and mobility issues becoming more common, especially among older residents. Government doctors are seeing more patients with worn knee and hip joints, lingering joint pain and difficulty walking or performing daily tasks without support.
Orthopaedic care often includes surgery, implants, long hospital stays and extended rehabilitation. Such treatment usually leads to large medical bills for families without financial protection. Under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, these costs are absorbed by the scheme, limiting out-of-pocket spending and enabling timely interventions that might otherwise be postponed.
This change is reflected in an individual case from Khera Gajju near Rajpura. Factory worker 43-year-old Gulshan Taneja suffered an accident that gradually altered daily life. Walking became hard, sudden pain stopped movement, knee swelling persisted and stiffness turned simple acts like standing up into uncertain, hesitant efforts.
Taneja was admitted to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala on May 6 and underwent surgery for a ligament tear on May 7. Doctors noted severe joint pain, swelling, instability and trouble bearing weight. Under the scheme, treatment costing ₹86,750 was provided cashlessly, and Taneja was discharged on May 12 without facing any immediate bill.
Taneja said, “I am recovering now and it’s thanks to the Sehat card that I did not have to pay any money for my treatment. The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is helping us reduce out-of-pocket expenditure by making such treatments accessible.”
Punajb Health Minister Balbir Singh said, “The burden of orthopaedic disorders has been on an exponential rise, and thus, has brought to light the indispensable need to buttress accessible and affordable operative care across the state of Punjab.” Singh stated that the scheme aims to provide cashless knee, hip and trauma care to thousands, easing financial pressure and supporting better mobility and quality of life.
The government data also links spending with tangible health outcomes, noting that over ₹84 crore used within about four months under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana signals higher service use alongside efforts to restore movement, limit disability and improve everyday functioning for patients across Punjab’s districts and hospitals.