Project SARATHI: Youth-Led Patient Navigation System in Public Hospitals
Governance & Healthcare · Monday, 3 August 2026
The Union Health Ministry reviewed the nationwide expansion of Project SARATHI across central hospitals. The initiative deploys trained student volunteers via the MY Bharat portal to provide non-clinical navigation, mobility assistance, and digital health enablement for visiting patients.
Quick highlights
- Project SARATHI stands for Students' Alliance for Responsible Action to Transform Healthcare Institutes.
- Integrates youth volunteers through the MY Bharat (Viksit Bharat Youth Network) portal.
- Provides non-clinical assistance such as orientation, wheelchair/stretcher mobility, and OPD guidance.
- Strict guardrails ensure volunteers undertake no clinical, medical, or administrative duties.
- Volunteers assist patients in creating Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs.
Context
Union Health Minister chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to expand Project SARATHI across central government hospitals and medical institutions nationwide.
Key Facts
Project SARATHI uses NSS units, nursing trainees, and MY Bharat volunteers. Volunteers facilitate ABHA ID creation and app navigation, reducing OPD queue times.
Significance
Improves patient satisfaction in overburdened tertiary public hospitals, humanizes public healthcare delivery, and instills civic duty and empathy among youth.
Challenges / Way Forward
Maintain continuous volunteer training modules and ensure strict compliance with non-clinical service boundaries to avoid operational overlaps.
Exam Angle
Relevant for GS Paper 2 (Health, Governance, Youth Empowerment, Citizen-centric services).
Remember this
- Full Form: Students' Alliance for Responsible Action to Transform Healthcare Institutes.
- Digital Portal Integration: MY Bharat (Viksit Bharat Youth Network).
- Scope: Purely non-clinical navigation and mobility support.
- Digital Inclusion Role: Assisting patients with ABHA ID registration.
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