Two-week-long SAARTHI Project
Two-week-long SAARTHI Project—a voluntary initiative of the NSS Unit of Panjab University, Chandigarh, and PGIMER—concluded with a brief ceremony to present a token of appreciation to the volunteers by Pankaj Rai, IAS, Deputy Director (Administration) at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
City Air News
Jun 18, 2025 02:07
0
Chandigarh, June 17, 2025: Two-week-long SAARTHI Project—a voluntary initiative of the NSS Unit of Panjab University, Chandigarh, and PGIMER—concluded with a brief ceremony to present a token of appreciation to the volunteers by Pankaj Rai, IAS, Deputy Director (Administration) at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
The PU NSS volunteers had worked in PGIMER with the permission of PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Renu Vig, under the supervision of NSS Coordinator Dr. Parveen Goyal and Programme Officer Dr. Sonia Sharma.
Pankaj Rai motivated the volunteers for participating in the SAARTHI Project—a voluntary initiative from 2nd to 15th June 2025—which was aimed at supporting patients and attendants in navigating the hospital environment. He also appreciated the contribution of NSS Coordinator Dr. Parveen Goyal and Programme Officer Dr. Sonia Sharma, under whose guidance the dedicated student volunteers participated in the initiative during the summer vacations. The SAARTHI Project focused on assisting patients, particularly from rural and underprivileged backgrounds, by providing emotional support, procedural guidance, and help in navigating hospital departments such as OPDs, diagnostic areas, and registration desks. Volunteers also helped with form-filling, translation, and basic crowd management, significantly improving patient experience.
Notable student volunteers included Rounak Bhardwaj, Palak, Eliza, Aditya, Suraj, and Bhuvan.
Through this initiative, the students gained vital interpersonal skills, emotional resilience, teamwork, and leadership experience. Despite challenges such as emotional fatigue and navigating hospital complexities, the volunteers displayed maturity and dedication.
The project deeply impacted the students, reinforcing values of empathy, civic duty, and the NSS motto—Not Me, But You.
