India reviews SARATHI project expansion

Union Health Minister Jagad Prakash Nadda chaired a high-level meeting on August 1, 2026, to assess expanding Project SARATHI, a youth volunteer initiative that improves patient experience in hospitals, across central government hospitals and other healthcare institutions. The meeting reviewed the successful pilot at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, where over 2,500 volunteers contributed 1.5 lakh service hours, reducing patient navigation time by 26%. Discussions focused on integrating SARATHI with the MY Bharat initiative of the India — Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, developing a scalable framework with digital monitoring, and ensuring volunteers complement clinical care without taking on clinical duties. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and senior officials from the Bangladesh — Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ghana — National Health Insurance Authority, and several central hospitals attended.