PGIMER Chandigarhs Project Sarathi receives national honour for patient guidance and safety

Chandigarh:- The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh has received national-level recognition for its flagship initiative related to patient guidance and navigation, Project Sarathi. This honour was conferred at the National Patient Safety Conference (NPSC) 2026, organized by AIIMS Nagpur in collaboration with the National Patient Safety Secretariat, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The conference was held on 11–12 September, 2026.
Project Sarathi was recognized as an “Outstanding Best Practice” for its outstanding contribution to patient safety and quality healthcare services. PGIMER was also conferred the Special Recognition Award for “Best Practices in Patient Safety 2026”.
On this achievement, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER said that this honour is a matter of pride for the institute. He said that Sarathi is an example of making healthcare services more accessible and humane through empathy, volunteerism and responsible citizenship. He expressed commitment to further strengthen this model and implement it at a wider level.
Shri Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director (Administration), PGIMER said that a well-organized volunteer program can have a meaningful impact on patient experience and hospital efficiency. Sarathi volunteers assist patients in understanding the hospital system, guidance in OPD, registration, location of services, queues, investigations and reports, including non-clinical needs.
Ms. Saryu D. Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media), ROTTO North and Co-Public Relations Officer (PRO), PGIMER Chandigarh, represented PGIMER on the national platform, made a presentation on Project Sarathi and received the honour and award on behalf of the institute.
Launched in May 2024, under Project Sarathi — Students’ Alliance for Responsible Action to Transform Healthcare Institutes, trained student volunteers assist patients and their families. PGIMER has more than 30 lakh OPD visits annually. So far, more than 2,700 students have participated as Sarathi volunteers and provided more than 1.6 lakh hours of service.
The Sarathi model promotes experiential learning, community participation and social responsibility in line with the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This initiative has also underlined that in patient safety, along with clinical care, clear communication, accessibility, proper guidance and sensitive patient experience are also important.