The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana has provided 2,44,468 cashless treatments under its 10 most frequently availed procedures, involving expenditure of more than ₹316.50 crore, according to data released by the Punjab government on Monday.With a focus on chronic illnesses and surgical interventions, the scheme highlights the importance of accessibility and financial relief in healthcare. (HT_PRINT)The procedures include dialysis, laparoscopic gall bladder surgery, total knee replacement, Caesarean deliveries, cardiac interventions and surgeries for kidney stones.Dialysis accounts for largest shareData from the State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab, showed that chronic haemodialysis was the most frequently availed procedure under the scheme. A total of 1,87,656 dialysis sessions were provided, with expenditure of more than ₹30.65 crore.Laparoscopic gall bladder surgery was the second most frequently availed procedure, with 17,698 surgeries. The scheme also covered 10,751 total knee replacement surgeries and 9,317 cashless Caesarean deliveries.Cardiac procedures included 8,734 cases of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) along with diagnostic angiography and 554 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures.The scheme also covered 5,770 percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures for kidney stones, 2,247 lower ureter surgeries, 911 cementless total hip replacement surgeries and 830 radical surgical procedures.Minister cites financial supportPunjab health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh said the figures reflected the number of families receiving treatment without having to bear the entire cost of the procedures.“The true measure of any healthcare programme is not the number of beneficiaries on paper, but the number of families who receive timely treatment without being pushed into financial distress,” Singh said.He said the procedures covered under the scheme included treatment for chronic illnesses as well as complex surgical interventions.The government said the figures indicated demand for procedures requiring repeated or specialised care, including dialysis, cardiac treatment and joint replacement.The statement, however, did not provide the total number of beneficiaries covered by the scheme or the overall expenditure across all procedures. The ₹316.50 crore figure relates to the 10 procedures identified by the state as the most frequently availed under the scheme.