Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau
Punjab must cap Private Hospital treatment charges, says Balbir Sidhu; Seeks Sehat Yojna coverage at PGIMER
Babushahi Bureau
Mohali (Punjab), July 15, 2026: Former Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday urged the Punjab Government to regulate treatment charges at private super specialty hospitals, alleging that patients are being burdened with exorbitant healthcare costs while the state’s flagship Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna has failed to deliver its promised benefits.
Sidhu demanded that the state constitute regulatory committees, similar to those formed to regulate private school fees, to fix treatment rates at private super specialty hospitals across Punjab.
He alleged that many major private hospitals are being run on commercial lines, with managements setting revenue targets for doctors and offering them financial incentives, while no regulatory mechanism exists to monitor such practices.
Calling the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna a “flop scheme,” Sidhu claimed that the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh does not provide treatment to beneficiaries enrolled under the scheme. He said patients referred by government hospitals often return without treatment because the scheme has not been recognised by the premier institute, whereas beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme continue to receive services.
The Congress leader also accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to strengthen Punjab’s public healthcare infrastructure despite its poll promise to establish a medical college in every district. He said even existing government hospitals have not been adequately upgraded.
Expressing concern over the state’s disease burden, Sidhu said Punjab has emerged as the “capital of diabetes and hypertension,” while cases of chronic kidney disease and cancer are also rising sharply. He alleged that the government lacks a comprehensive action plan and updated disease classification to tackle these growing health challenges.
“How can the government improve Punjab’s healthcare system if it has no concern for the major health issues affecting the people?” Sidhu questioned.
Recalling measures taken during the Congress government, Sidhu said that during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the state had capped treatment charges in private hospitals and medical colleges at a maximum of Rs 18,000 per day, based on the recommendations of the Dr KK Talwar Committee. The capped rates covered isolation beds, ICU care and hospitalisation charges.
He urged the Punjab Government to constitute a high-powered committee to immediately regulate treatment costs in private super specialty hospitals and ensure that beneficiaries of the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna receive free treatment at PGIMER Chandigarh.