Pre-launch: Days -60 to -30 (paperwork)
- 1 MCI/NMC registration verification — Ensure your registration is active in your practice state
- 2 Clinic registration — Register under Clinical Establishments Act (state-specific)
- 3 GST registration — Mandatory if annual revenue projected above ₹20 lakh
- 4 PAN/TAN application — For clinic (if operating as separate entity)
- 5 Shop & Establishment license — Local municipal requirement
- 6 Bio-medical waste management authorization — Required from state pollution board
- 7 Fire safety NOC — For premises
- 8 Signage license — For clinic board display
Pre-launch: Days -30 to 0 (setup)
- 1 Premises finalization — Reception, waiting area, 1-2 consult rooms, restroom
- 2 Interior setup — Furniture, examination table, patient chairs
- 3 Basic medical equipment — BP monitor, weighing scale, thermometer, stethoscope, torch
- 4 Prescription pads — With clinic name, doctor details, MCI number
- 5 Clinic software setup — Choose and onboard (DhiDoc or alternative)
- 6 Payment infrastructure — UPI QR, cash drawer, receipt printer
- 7 Staff hiring — Receptionist and/or nurse (if applicable)
- 8 WhatsApp Business number — Fresh number for clinic
- 9 Google Business Profile — Free listing with location, timings, photos
Launch: Day 1 to Month 3 (patient acquisition)
- 1 Soft launch — Family, friends, neighbors as first patients (Day 1-14)
- 2 Local awareness — Flyers in immediate area, pharmacy referrals (Day 15-30)
- 3 Google reviews — Ask every satisfied patient for a review (ongoing)
- 4 WhatsApp Business status — Post opening days, clinic hours regularly
- 5 Referral relationships — Connect with local specialists for two-way referrals (Month 2)
- 6 First case study — Get testimonial from first happy patient (Month 3)
- 7 Local health camps — Free blood pressure or diabetes screening (Month 3+)
Common mistakes new doctors make
- ✓ Buying too much equipment upfront (start minimal, add as needed)
- ✓ Skipping software (paper systems collapse fast — set up software from day 1)
- ✓ Hiring too many staff (start with 1 receptionist, add nurse when volume justifies)
- ✓ Ignoring Google Business Profile (single biggest free acquisition channel)
- ✓ No follow-up system (patients don't return without reminders)
The one-line advice
Get the paperwork done before hunting for a location. Nothing kills a new clinic faster than delays waiting for licenses that should have been secured months earlier.