PGI's Project Sarathi to be adopted by 1,467 hospitals in 34 states and UTs

Indian Express

a day ago

In a significant leap towards healthcare facilitation and youth engagement, Project Sarathi, an innovative hospital navigation and patient support initiative launched by the PGIMER Chandigarh on May 5, 2024, has now expanded its reach across 34 states and Union Territories (UTs).
With the joint backing of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, a total of 1,467 hospitals have been approved under the Seva Se Seekhen — Experiential Learning Programme in Hospitals, as listed on the MyBharat portal.
Vivek Lal, director, PGIMER, expressed his enthusiasm about the nationwide replication of the Project Sarathi model. 'Launched with the twin objectives of simplifying hospital navigation for patients and channelising the energy of India's youth towards meaningful social contributions, Project Sarathi has evolved into a distinctive model of community engagement.
It aims to create a hospital environment where patients and their attendants feel guided, supported, and well-informed from the moment they arrive. At the same time, it offers students a structured platform to embrace social responsibilities during their formative years, thereby fostering greater civic consciousness and empathy,' Lal said.
Lal further added, 'As envisioned under the leadership of Union Health Minister, Project Sarathi was launched as a modest yet confident step toward enhancing patient facilitation through volunteer engagement, and it has now blossomed into a nationwide movement with over 50,000 volunteer service hours logged at the PGIMER alone'.
Pankaj Rai, deputy director (Administration), PGIMER, added that 1,467 hospitals across 34 states and UTs have been approved under the Seva Se Seekhen – Experiential Learning Programme in Health, on the https://mybharat.gov.in/ Portal/Website, which is modelled on the concept of PGIMER's Project Sarathi.
Of these, implementation of ELP has been completed in 551 hospitals from September 2024 till May, 2025 and in 95 hospitals, ELP is currently ongoing in the health sector out of which 81 are permanent health ELPs.
The initiative actively involves 6,444 student volunteers nationwide, while work is progressing in the remaining 821 hospitals.
'Initially launched as a pilot to meet the rising demand for hospital navigators and patient support, Project Sarathi aimed to train and deploy student volunteers to help patients navigate complex hospital environments. Its early success, reducing patient confusion, improving time efficiency, and enhancing overall hospital experience, garnered the attention of other hospitals, medical colleges, and policymakers alike,' Rai said.
At the PGIMER, a total of 816 students from 18 institutions have contributed over 50,340 hours of hospital navigation and support services. These efforts have led to measurable improvements, such as a reduction in average patient wait time from 4.2 hours to 2.8 hours, increased patient and attendant satisfaction, improved staff efficiency, and students assume non-clinical support roles.