A fire can last minutes. The damage can last much longer. For someone who suffers serious burns, getting out of the flames is only the beginning. There can be repeated dressings, procedures, reconstruction and months of recovery. Punjab’s latest burns data under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) puts a number on that difficult journey. 265 treatments worth ₹1.39 crore were provided.
Twenty-four-year-old Arjun Kumar was injured when a short circuit triggered a fire at his home. He was taken to Bathinda for treatment worth nearly ₹50,000, provided cashlessly under the scheme. “Everything happened so fast,” he recalled. Once he knew the treatment would be cashless, he said, he could concentrate on healing rather than hospital expenses.
As per data received from the State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab, under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, men aged 31 to 45 years accounted for 61 treatments, the highest among the groups, with expenditure of ₹31.82 lakh. Boys aged 0 to 18 years recorded 39 treatments, while girls in the same age group accounted for 27.
Among women, the highest numbers were recorded in the 19-30 age group, with 26 treatments, followed by 21 treatments among women aged 31-45. In simple terms, much of the treatment was on children, young adults and working-age people.
On this, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “A burn injury does not end when the flames are put out. For many patients, recovery can mean repeated procedures, rehabilitation and long-term care. Our priority is to ensure that financial hardship does not become another injury for these families.”