Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda chaired a high-level meeting on August 1, 2026, to assess the expansion scope of Project SARATHI across hospitals and medical institutions nationwide. Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, also attended the deliberations. The meeting reviewed the implementation and impact of Project SARATHI at PGIMER, Chandigarh, where the initiative has mobilized more than 2,500 volunteers who contributed over 1.5 lakh service hours, significantly enhancing patient experience.
Minister Nadda emphasized that patient-centric healthcare extends beyond clinical care to include timely guidance, assistance, and compassionate support during hospital visits. He highlighted that structured volunteer engagement improves patient convenience while allowing healthcare professionals to focus more effectively on clinical responsibilities. A study by PGIMER's Department of Community Medicine reported a 26% reduction in overall patient navigation time for those assisted under the initiative.
The meeting reviewed the integration of Project SARATHI with the MY Bharat initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, discussing mechanisms to institutionalize youth participation through structured orientation, training, and digital monitoring systems. Digital platforms were highlighted for volunteer registration, attendance tracking, patient feedback collection, and support for ABHA ID creation.
Discussions focused on developing a scalable and sustainable framework for implementing Project SARATHI across hospitals, including institutional mechanisms, volunteer training protocols, coordination with MY Bharat, digital integration, and safeguards to ensure volunteers complement healthcare services without undertaking clinical or administrative responsibilities. The meeting was attended by senior officials from both ministries and representatives from major central hospitals including AIIMS New Delhi, Dr. RML Hospital, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College.