A clinic is an establishment or hospital department where outpatients are given medical treatment or advice, especially of a specialist nature. This article offers simple guidance to doctors to assist them in opening their clinics.

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1. Prepare a plan

Planning is the key to ensuring future endeavours taste the delicious fruit of success. No one can foresee the future but thinking ahead gives us a fighting chance to survive the storm by dancing in the rain. A backup is necessary whenever you are taking a huge flight risk but risks are the necessary parts of the gamble.

Circumstances may change but having a solid plan to fall back upon with flexibility in its execution and feasibility to change itself is very important. It can be as simple as thinking about starting all diagnostic centres with daycare facilities. Start small and take calculated risks. take into account all the small and big changes necessary. Treat it as a business plan with multilevel planning.

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2. Finance

The most important in today’s materialistic world is finance. A clinician however good he/she is, still has to pay for his family, loans, and himself. Money should never be the motive or the motivator but only an aider. Sound knowledge of financing and taxes are necessary for personal growth while taking into account the rent, salaries, and maintenance costs for the place is necessary for the place to run smoothly. Loans from a credible bank are often necessary a setting up a clinic: small or big, single consultant or multispeciality needs credible equity. Proper financial planning is the key to the puzzle of setting up clinics.

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3. Get regulatory permissions

As a law-abiding and fearing citizen of India, you should check for changes in the basic regulations for registrations, they often remain the same but with minor changes according to the state and place you wish to establish your clinic. State and MCI registrations are mandatory along with other specific registrations helping us in consumer courts. This is necessary as the consumer protection law protects the patient as he is the consumer in the eyes of the law. Some basic certificates needed are:

• No objection certificate from the appropriate authority at the fire department
• NOC from the pollution board
• Permission to handle bio-medical waste
• Tax certificate
• Shop and establishment license etc
• Health-related information reporting and releasing are also controlled by law

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4. Finalise the location: Designing your dream clinic

Location, occasion and vocation are the three main ingredients needed in the recipe of a successful clinic. A well-lit, clean consulting room with proper staff and trained nurses are very necessary for a smooth sailing trip. The facilities differ according to the needs they cater to a surgeon needs an operation theatre setup: for elective cases and emergencies.  plan it out, find out what the market needs then cater for them. There are many governmental rules to follow strictly.

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5. Medical equipment: A fruitful investment

A quality instrument is a clinician's joy. The diagnosing prowess accounts for your incessant work but diagnostic tools help you to narrow it down. The basic instruments of the stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, torch, and weighing are now necessary. A crash cart with an intubation kit is now compulsory.

Protective personal safety equipment is also necessary e.g gloves, masks, etc. A cleaning chain for bedsheets, and linens, a steriliser and daily cleaning of the clinic by brooming, dusting and mopping are necessary to maintain the proper health of a patient and avoid nosocomial infections.

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6. Billing, IT and electronics

Some basic devices needed will be:

• Computer
• Printer
• Cctv setup
• Wifi router
• Telephone system with intercom facility

Also, a fare and square consultation fee rate should be decided. A clinician’s fee slots should be clear and transparent to help him/her and also the patient.

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6. Recruitment of skilled labour

In your clinic, you are the employer: a big responsibility of recruiting skilled nursing staff, ward boys, cleaners, and sweepers are necessary. A surgeon needs a responsible surgeon’s scribe for the maintenance of instruments to assist him/her in the surgery are very tedious tasks to endeavour. Sensitisation of the staff towards patients and health policies along with hygienic practices is very important.

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7. Marketing strategies

In today’s day and age, the thing which is on social media sells and rules. But in the medical world word of mouth publicity is unprecedented. Marketing strategies according to the regulatory advice of the government should be undertaken.

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8. Patience is the key

Going an extra mile for ailing patients and still not seeing a foreseeable stable future is possible but every establishment takes time. Making the building strong, takes time to strengthen. Hence give 1000 days to see a good, profitable future in any endeavour. For this, a good backup to your planning is necessary.

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9. COVID policy changes

In 2020, the future of doctors was endangered: the fragility of life and the unreliability of society destroyed many doctors' lives. Any epidemic can occur at any time disrupting our stability but we should the calm in the storm, and start dancing in the rain at its pace. Many policies changed but we stood tall. It is a noble, sacrificing profession for a reason. Honour it, honour your dream. Also, various COVID-19 safety measurements should be undertaken and maintained for a smooth sailing clinic.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

About the author of this article: Dr Tosha Shah MS is a Senior Consultant practitioner at Dhiraj Hospital, Vadodara.