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Tips to Expand Your Clinic to a Polyclinic



If you’re a medical practitioner wanting to convert your clinic to a polyclinic, then we have a few tips for you that you may find useful when adopting this strategy to grow your patient reach.

Identify a large space with clean surroundings

To expand from a clinic to a polyclinic, you need to identify a large space with clean surroundings to offer a secure and safe environment for visitors, patients and staff members. Note that space must be large enough to carry out the basic functions of the facility with utmost ease. It’s essential to set up the right infrastructure encompassing:

-          Proper ventilation, water supply and air conditioning
-          Signage displayed at the clinic’s entry point with its name, address and telephone number
-          Display of the doctors practising with the day and time of their visit
-          Services provided

Note that computers, cabinetry and storage shelving, printers, files, telephones, wheelchairs, water filtration systems, etc., form an essential part of a polyclinic’s infrastructure. 

Take the requisite legal and statutory licenses

To move into a polyclinic, there are certain legal and statutory licenses which you must obtain. You need to get a trade license from the local municipal body along with:
-          NOC for fire safety
-          Electricity installation certification
-          Approval certificate of all radiation emitting equipment
-          NOC from the pollution control board

Buy the required equipment

A polyclinic must have state-of-the-art equipment for various diagnostic tests prescribed. Some of the common equipment required in a polyclinic are:

-          X-ray machine
-          Ultrasonography machine
-          ECG unit and accessories
-          Basic diagnostic machines such as blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, etc.
-          Laboratory diagnostic equipment (microscope, urine/glucose analyser, etc.)
-          Emergency equipment and supplies (aspirator, oxygen, resuscitation bag, etc.)
Along with the above-mentioned equipment, it’s important for you to install an emergency power back up to ensure operations run smoothly in case of a power cut.

Hire competent staff and invest in the right software

To run a polyclinic efficiently, you need competent and qualified staff members. Right from front office staff to doctors’ assistants to members in the billing and diagnostic department, a capable workforce ensures smooth operations of your clinic.

At the same time, you need to install the latest software for billing and scheduling appointments to boost productivity and reduce errors.

Arranges for finances

Expanding into a polyclinic requires a substantial amount of funds. Infrastructure, equipment and software costs can run into several lakhs of rupees. With the availability of tailor-made medical practice financing, you can easily offset the high expenses.

For instance, Bajaj Finserv offers a suite of Doctor Loans which you can use to meet the expenditure needed for a polyclinic. With a Flexi Loan facility, you can withdraw money as and when needed from your approved loan limit. Also, you need to pay interest only on the amount utilised and not on the entire limit, thus reducing the monthly EMIs. These loans come with a flexible tenor for easy repayment.