For a heart under attack, every second counts. A delay of minutes can mean the difference between life and death. In Punjab, that race against time is increasingly being won, as faster angioplasty procedures, enabled by the Bhagwant Mann Government’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY), are helping patients receive immediate, cashless cardiac care when it matters most.
A heart attack triggers medical urgency and financial anxiety. Families struggle to arrange funds, complete paperwork, and secure hospital clearances, often losing precious time in the process. Today, that reality is changing. With the Sehat Card system, patients arriving at government and empanelled private hospitals are being fast-tracked for diagnosis and emergency angioplasty without upfront payment delays.
The shift is proving critical in improving survival outcomes, particularly during the “golden hour”: the first 60 minutes after a cardiac event when timely intervention is most effective. Globally, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death, with the World Health Organization estimating nearly 17.9 million deaths each year.
A significant number of these fatalities are linked to delayed treatment, something Punjab’s evolving healthcare system is now actively addressing. Doctors across the state report a concerning rise in heart-related cases, not just among the elderly but increasingly among younger patients.
Sedentary lifestyles, stress, unhealthy diets, and rising diabetes levels are key contributors. Yet alongside this trend, access to emergency cardiac care is improving. According to the State Health Agency (SHA), a total of 5,054 cardiac procedures have been carried out under the Sehat Yojana in recent months.
This includes 5,000 PTCA (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty) procedures, inclusive of diagnostic angiograms, and 54 cases of peripheral angioplasty. The total value of these treatments stands at approximately ₹496 million, with PTCA procedures accounting for the overwhelming share of both cases and expenditure.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the impact is already visible. “More patients are surviving what was once almost certainly fatal. In those critical moments, speed, supported by systems like the Sehat Card, is becoming the state’s strongest lifesaver,” he said.
Cardiology units in hospitals are adapting rapidly. Emergency protocols are being streamlined to ensure that suspected heart attack patients are quickly assessed and moved to intervention without administrative bottlenecks. Dr Saurabh Sharma, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Cardiology, GMC and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, says, “The Sehat Card is helping people get timely treatment.
The reduction in financial hesitation is a key factor. Previously, uncertainty over treatment costs often caused families to delay consent for procedures.” Dr Sharma adds that with cashless coverage, that barrier has largely been addressed. The transformation is significant across districts.
Earlier, patients often faced dangerous delays due to referrals to larger city hospitals. Now, with wider empanelment and better-equipped facilities under the scheme, more centres are capable of initiating angioplasty without transferring patients over long distances.