Lok Sabha Question No. 2463 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Project Sarathi
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2463

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025

## Project Sarathi

2463. Shri Rahul Kaswan:

Will  the  Minister  of  YOUTH  AFFAIRS  AND  SPORTS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government supports Project Sarathi, the youth-led hospital navigation initiative (Seva Se Seekhen-Experimental Learning Programme (ELP) launched under My Bharat;
- (b)  the  total  number  of  youth  volunteers  participated  and  the number of hospitals covered across the country, States/UTs-wise;
- (c) the total number of cumulative volunteer hours contributed and average reduction in patient waiting time;
- (d)  whether  similar  models  are  planned  in  schools  or  community health centres and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether any expansion targets for the said programme during FY 2025-26 and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a) & (b) Project Sarathi was implemented by PGIMER Chandigarh as an Experiential Learning Program (ELP) initiative of Department of Youth Affairs, It was launched on 17th September 2024. Till date, 988 youth volunteers have participated under the said project.

Project  Sarathi  was  implemented  under  the  banner  of  'Seva  Se Seekhen'  ELP  in  which  6,444  youth  volunteers  have  provided services in over 522 hospitals across the country with the support of National Health Authority and State Health Departments/Authorities. State/UT wise detail is at Annexure. As on date 1467 hospitals are on-boarded /approved on the portal for the said ELP.   Out of 95 ELPs existing as on date, 81 are designated as Permanent Health ELPs. Volunteers have taken part in these ELPs and supported in tasks such as:

- 
- Assisting patients with basic healthcare services,
- 
- 
- 
- Supporting the management of OPDs,
- Manning 'May I Help You' desks,
- Assisting with health insurance paperwork,
-  Helping patients download and use the ABHA mobile application,
-  Other hospital-identified tasks including data entry and records management.
- (c)  Youth  Volunteers  served  between  7  and  30  days  in  their assigned hospitals. Typical working on each day varies from 3 hrs to 6  hrs.  A  study  conducted  at  PGIMER  Chandigarh  observed  the following:
-  Patients  supported  by  MY  Bharat  volunteers  waited  for  an average of 2.8 hours.
- 
- Patients without such support waited for around 4.2 hours.
- (d)    The  Seva  Se  Seekhen  program  has  been  extended  to  Primary Health  Centres  (PHCs)  and  Community  Health  Centres  (CHCs).  A Permanent  Health  ELP  model,  where  help  desks  are  set  up  for implemented  in
- continuous volunteer deployment, is currently Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
- (e) In collaboration with the National Health Authority, the Seva Se Seekhen program is being expanded to 100 model health facilities progress. Volunteers  here  will  support  patients  at  registration  counters, including helping them use the 'Scan and Share' service to register
- where the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is in for OPD at public hospitals.

*****

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED Q.NO. 2463 FOR 04.08.2025 ASKED BY SHRI RAHUL KASWAN REGARDING PROJECT SARATHI

| S. No.                        |   NAME OF THE STATE | NO. OF HEALTH MBOs   | NO. OF PARTICPANTS   |
|-------------------------------|---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| 1 ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS |                   1 | 3                    |                      |
| ANDHRA PRADESH                |                  22 | 373                  | 2                    |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH             |                   5 | 15                   | 3                    |
| ASSAM                         |                  10 | 110                  | 4                    |
| BIHAR                         |                  11 | 143                  | 5                    |
| CHANDIGARH                    |                  13 | 92                   | 6                    |
| CHHATTISGARH                  |                   9 | 77                   | 7                    |
| DELHI                         |                   3 | 30                   | 8                    |
| GOA                           |                   2 | 26                   | 9                    |
| GUJARAT                       |                  89 | 1215                 | 10                   |
| HARYANA                       |                  69 | 1004                 | 11                   |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH              |                  11 | 43                   | 12                   |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR             |                  12 | 62                   | 13                   |
| JHARKHAND                     |                  29 | 276                  | 14                   |
| KARNATAKA                     |                   6 | 32                   | 15                   |
| KERALA                        |                   6 | 87                   | 16                   |
| LAKSHADWEEP                   |                   4 | 26                   | 17                   |
| MADHYA PRADESH                |                  12 | 167                  | 18                   |
| MAHARASHTRA                   |                  51 | 238                  | 19                   |
| MANIPUR                       |                   2 | 23                   | 20                   |
| MEGHALAYA                     |                   2 | 0                    | 21                   |
| ODISHA                        |                   8 | 63                   | 22                   |
| PUDUCHERRY                    |                   4 | 50                   | 23                   |
| PUNJAB                        |                  30 | 175                  | 24                   |
| RAJASTHAN                     |                  87 | 836                  | 25                   |
| TAMIL NADU                    |                  39 | 341                  | 26                   |
| TELANGANA                     |                  19 | 178                  | 27                   |
| TRIPURA                       |                   7 | 14                   | 28                   |
| UTTAR PRADESH                 |                  63 | 558                  | 29                   |
| UTTARAKHAND                   |                  21 | 187                  | 30                   |
| TOTAL                         |                 647 |                      | 6444                 |

MBOs = MY Bharat Organisations