The Definitive Checklist for Setting Up A New Clinic

While setting up a new clinic, there are various parameters that you consider to make sure that the clinic has a good vanguard. While location, neighborhood, and marketing strategies have an important role to play in the success of the clinic, it is important to have a well-equipped clinic that is prepared for the most miscellaneous and unexpected situations. 

Setting up a clinic is a difficult task, with the expenses and legalities involved but once you’ve set your heart on setting up your own practice, the ability to be able to help patients and interact with them on a one-on-one basis while having a suitable work schedule brings immense satisfaction. After making sure you’ve got the right space, the right health recording system, the finances, and documentation in place – it’s fundamental to focus on the kind of equipment and consumables your clinic has. Good quality medical equipment is almost always expensive, but it should be looked at from an investment point of view. Good quality reliable equipment does not only last several years, but can also add a lot of value to your practice by giving you reliable results and improving the quality of treatment of the patient. A clinic that is well equipped imparts a more proficient and professional stature which makes new patients more trusting of the setup. Broadly speaking, a new clinic should ideally have the following equipment and consumables-

  • Examination Lighting and Illumination - These lights allow the physician to visualize tissue color differences and examine the patient. These lights can be wall-mounted or table-mounted or can come to be portable with a moveable stand.
  • Examination Tables and Privacy Screens - These equipment help a clinician examine a patient in the clinic. Examination tables are usually adjustable and privacy screens provide privacy to the patient during an examination.
  • Blood Pressure Monitors – Blood pressure monitors allow for routinely monitoring of blood pressure. It can be digital or manual and may also be able to measure other parameters.
  • Stethoscopes – Stethoscopes are auscultatory devices used to hear sounds like heartbeats, intestinal movements, chest functioning, etc. These are the most widely used diagnostic tools and are available in various models with a range of different features and specifications useful for various specialties.
  • Weighing scales – These scales are used to measure the weight of a patient.
  • Thermometers – These products take temperature readings and include Oral thermometers, axillary thermometers, rectal thermometers, and forehead thermometers.
  • Physical Examination tools – This includes tools and equipment for physical examination including Snellen’s Charts, Tuning Fork, Percussion Hammers, Diagnostic sets, Ophthalmological equipment, Ear Nose and throat examination equipment, Women’s health examination equipment, etc. These can be selected based on the specialization and the area of the practice of the clinician.
  • Monitoring Systems – These include equipment that can monitor vital parameters of a patient. ECG Machines and Pulse Oximeters are common monitoring equipment in clinics.
  • Wound Care Dressings - Wound care dressings protect wounds from infection and contamination while promoting healing. They are designed to be in direct contact with the wound serving as a barrier between the wound environment and the surroundings. There are various types of wound care dressings including rolled bandages, gauze swabs, crepe bandage, transparent film dressings, nanocrystalline silver dressings, absorbent dressings, mesh dressings, etc.
  • Medical Grade Gloves - Medical grade gloves serve as a crucial barrier for health care workers and protect them from bloodborne and transmissible diseases. Nitrile and Latex Gloves are the most commonly used gloves.
  • Sterilization and Disinfection products - Instruments and equipment parts can get contaminated in healthcare setups and pose a serious hazard to the patients as well as healthcare providers. Contaminated equipment and instruments not only increase the risk of spreading contagious diseases but also act as a breeding ground for a plethora of germs and viruses.
  • Biomedical Waste Disposal Bags - Biomedical waste is divided into Non-risk waste and Risk waste. Biomedical waste when not properly handled can be a source of transmission of diseases like AIDS/HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C Virus among several others. Sanitation workers, medical and paramedical staff, patients, and attendants to patients are at the highest risk due to improper management of biomedical waste. Biomedical Waste Collection bags are color-coded for identification of the type of waste container and should be disposed of responsibly and effectively.
  • Syringes – Syringes are used for administering drugs, draw fluids, etc. These are of various types and are to be used for different indications.
  • Needles and Sharp disposal devices – These devices collect sharps and used needles and allow for their safe collection before they are disposed of as per guidelines. Sharp containers prevent needle stick injuries, accidental puncturing, and transmission of diseases.
  • Face Masks, Aprons, and Gowns – These products resist the transmission of airborne pathogens and are usually fluid resistant. These are worn to prevent generalized and local infections and to avoid transmission of infections to the clinician and health care workers.
Setting up a new clinic can be one of the most challenging aspects of being in the medical field. While there is a tremendous amount of competition from other well-established clinics, a new clinic can flourish with the help of the clinician’s expertise and trust of new patients. Furthermore, it is imperative for a clinician to not only gain the trust of patients who tend to invest all their faith in their physician but also to make sure that they’re providing their patients with the best facilities and services. The clinic should contain technologically advanced equipment which is highly reliable and accurate. The consumables used in the clinic should always be of superior quality and procured from authorized partners of the manufacturers. The equipment and technology used in a clinic should evolve according to the current trends in medical technology. The clinician should regularly incorporate new products and technologies which make diagnosis more reliable and add value to the treatments prescribed while greatly improving the desired results of the treatments. Traditional ways of procuring equipment and consumables for clinics involve a lot of haggling, bargaining, and negotiating with the vendors. It is also difficult to determine the quality and reliability of the equipment when buying from local vendors and many times the consumer also has to wait days and weeks for the order to arrive. On the flip side, when you buy your equipment and consumables from Smart Medical Buyer online you can be assured about the quality of the products as the items are sourced directly from the manufacturers and importers. We provide medical supplies for all budgets as our product portfolio includes renowned Indian as well as International brands. You can order your medical supplies from the comfort of your home/ office and receive the delivery at your doorstep without having to get in touch with multiple vendors or visiting various medical supplies stores.  There are no unexpected deliveries or delays when ordering from Smart Medical Buyer as SMB provides complete price transparency and live order tracking of deliveries to ensure timely deliveries.