Chandigarh, Oct 23: The implementation of mandatory free healthcare for low-income patients took center stage in the Punjab Legislative Assembly when Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh pressed health authorities for answers during Question Hour. Singh stressed that private hospitals granted land at cheap reserve prices two decades ago have largely ignored legal stipulations requiring them to allocate a fixed percentage of indoor and outdoor services for Yellow Card holders.
Addressing the assembly, the MLA criticized the absence of a formal regulatory body to monitor these medical institutions, noting that exorbitant billing has sometimes led to hospitals withholding the bodies of deceased patients from grieving families. Singh urged the state government to clarify what enforcement measures will be deployed to secure compliance from defaulting hospitals.
In his reply to the assembly, Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh stated that the administration takes such grievances seriously and will initiate strict action utilizing the details shared during the session. The Minister added that existing state and district-level committees under Civil Surgeons are active and equipped to tackle these administrative and humanitarian concerns.
