Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s brainchild ‘Swasthya Sathi’ scheme that has already emerged as a “lifeline” for the people of Bengal, especially those belonging to unprivileged category, helped more than 6,000 patients undergo critical surgeries completely free-of-cost in the past one year.
The state government, according to sources, has spent around Rs 2,091 crore in less than one year under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. Poor people from across Bengal were now availing top class treatment facilities in top private hospitals; thanks to the Mamata Banerjee government.
Sources said that the state government had spent more than Rs 2,694.64 crore in 2023-24 fiscal under Swasthya Sathi scheme. Bengal has more than 8,72,57,607 people enrolled under Swasthya Sathi scheme so far. More than 2,914 hospitals across the state have been enrolled under the scheme.
Every home in Bengal now finds security in Swasthya Sathi, a visionary initiative trusted by nearly 9 crore people. With its support, 90 per cent of early-stage cancer cases are being detected, ensuring timely treatment. Swasthya Sathi has not only been providing better health care facilities to the people of Bengal, but it also changed the entire health service scenario of Bengal. Swasthya Sathi has become Bengal’s pride and a promise of better healthcare for all. The scheme had recently earned international acclaim as Portuguese journal ‘The Breast’ recognised the success of the ground breaking scheme of the state government. Austria’s St. Gallen Breast Cancer Conference 2025 also highlighted this pioneering universal health scheme introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government. The journal of international repute ‘The Breast’ featured cancer survivors who received free chemotherapy under the scheme. St. Gallen Conference also acknowledged that the treatment cost of deadly cancer has reduced manifold due to the implementation of the ‘Swasthya Sathi’ scheme.
Minister of state for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya while presenting data regarding ‘Swasthya Sathi’ in the Assembly earlier this year said that more than 8.72 crore people belonging to 2.44 crore families have been enrolled in the Swasthya Sathi scheme till the month of February this year. Meanwhile, the state government has also introduced a portal http://swasthyasathi.ov.in/ for the interests of the people so that they can have an idea of the scheme and what it offers. The portal gives detailed information about the packages available and the diseases it covers.