New Delhi, June 5 -- The Punjab government has announced a significant expansion of the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY), allowing 17 additional medical procedures to be performed at empanelled private hospitals while extending coverage to individuals living alone.

The decision marks another step in the evolution of the state's health insurance programme, which currently provides cashless treatment across a network of government and private healthcare institutions.

Health minister Dr Balbir Singh said the expansion is designed to improve access to specialised healthcare services while reducing pressure on overcrowded public hospitals.

"People living alone, senior citizens and parents of children settled abroad now covered under Mukh Man...