Union Health Minister JP Nadda chairs meeting, review SARATHI project expansion
New Delhi, August 1
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to assess the scope for expanding Project SARATHI across hospitals and medical institutions in the country.
The meeting reviewed the implementation and impact of Project SARATHI at PGIMER, Chandigarh, and deliberated on its replication across Central Government hospitals and other healthcare institutions.
The initiative aims to improve patient experience through trained youth volunteers while strengthening community participation in public healthcare.
During the meeting, Nadda emphasised that patient-centric healthcare extends beyond clinical care and includes ensuring that patients and their attendants receive timely guidance, assistance and compassionate support during their hospital journey.
He highlighted that Project SARATHI has demonstrated how structured volunteer engagement can improve patient convenience while enabling healthcare professionals to focus more effectively on clinical responsibilities.
The Ministers were briefed on the outcomes of the initiative at PGIMER, Chandigarh, where SARATHI volunteers have supported patients with hospital navigation, wheelchair and stretcher assistance, guidance for diagnostic services and other non-clinical support.
The initiative has mobilised more than 2,500 volunteers, contributed over 1.5 lakh service hours and has significantly enhanced the patient experience. A study conducted by the Department of Community Medicine, PGIMER, reported a 26% reduction in overall patient navigation time for those assisted under the initiative.
The meeting also reviewed the integration of Project SARATHI with the MY Bharat initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and discussed mechanisms to institutionalise youth participation in healthcare institutions through structured orientation, training and digital monitoring systems. The role of digital platforms in volunteer registration, attendance, patient feedback and support for ABHA ID creation was also highlighted.
Discussions focused on developing a scalable and sustainable framework for implementing Project SARATHI in hospitals across the country. Deliberations included institutional mechanisms, volunteer training, coordination with MY Bharat, digital integration and safeguards to ensure that volunteers complement healthcare services without undertaking clinical or administrative responsibilities.
Union Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, was also present during the meeting.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and other concerned stakeholders, including Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary; Vijay Nehra, Additional Secretary, MoHFW; Kiran Gopal Vaska, Joint Secretary & MD (ABDM), National Health Authority; Dr. Nirupam Madaan, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS New Delhi; Dr. Akhilandeswari Prasad, Director, ABVIMS & Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi; Dr. Kavita Rani Sharma, Director, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi; Dr. Himani Ahluwalia, Director, Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and doctors from central hospitals.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is what we need - more community participation in healthcare. The MY Bharat integration is smart too, engaging our youth in meaningful service while they learn about our public health system. Hopefully the digital monitoring system ensures people actually show up and do the work, not just on paper.
Good step, but let's be real here - the success at PGIMER might not translate perfectly to other hospitals without proper infrastructure and training. Also, we need to ensure these volunteers don't become a substitute for hiring proper support staff. Volunteers are great, but they can't replace permanent hospital employees.
My grandmother recently visited PGIMER and she couldn't stop praising the young volunteers who helped her with everything from finding the right OPD to getting her wheelchair when she got tired. It's these small acts of kindness that make a hospital less intimidating. Really hope this expands nationwide soon! 🙏
The idea of patient-centric care is nice, but I hope they're also focusing on the core issue - understaffed hospitals and long patient queues. Volunteers helping with navigation is good, but our public healthcare needs more doctors, nurses, and better facilities. This feels like a cosmetic fix when we need structural improvements.
Appreciate that both Union Ministers were present and taking this seriously. The emphasis on digital integration - volunteer registration, attendance, feedback, ABHA ID support - suggests they're building something sustainable, not just a photo-op initiative. Let's see how the implementation goes across central hospitals. 🙌
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