How to Start a Clinic in Kenya

Health is one of the essential services in Kenya and is among the most under-served. There are very few health facilities in Kenya while many of the available ones do not have health equipment and enough doctors. The ratio for doctor to patients is wanting and needs to be addressed. The demand for health services is high and there is need to bridge the gap.

Starting a clinic is a profitable business idea and you can grow a profession in it. This is how to start a clinic in Kenya.

Requirements for Opening a Clinic in Kenya

You must meet the following requirements to open a clinic in Kenya.

Business registration certificate
Inspection report from a qualified medical personnel
Form IX duly signed by a medical officer
Make a payment of the relevant fees
Architectural plans of the building in case of a hospital

Who is Allowed to Open a Clinic in Kenya?

A person who is allowed to open a clinic in Kenya must be must be a trained and certified medical personnel and is licensed to work as a medical practitioner. He must also have 2 years experience working as a health specialist.

Determine the Type of Clinic You Want to Start

Before starting a clinic, you need to know what area to specialize in. You can run a general clinic, pediatric center or a dentistry clinic. There are many other areas you can specialize in. You need to be qualified in the area you want to specialize in. Health is critical and you do not want to gamble with people’s lives and health.

Also read: How to start a baby shop business in Kenya.

Get Training

To operate a legal clinic in Kenya, it is a requirement that you be trained and have practicing license. Running a clinic without training will land you into trouble with the authorities while you also risk people’s lives.

You may also need some experience before you can start operating a clinic on your own. You can train as a nurse or a doctor to get authorization to start a clinic.

If you do not have training in any health field, you can hire a doctor or a nurse to operate it. It is a requirement to submit qualifications of the person who will be operating your clinic during registration.

Write a Clinic Business Plan

To start any business, you need to have a business plan. The success of any business is determined by how well it is planned. A business plan should have the following:

Startup capital
Sources of startup capital
Business location
Revenue projections
Opportunities, strengths and weaknesses

Register Your Clinic

It is mandatory to register a business in Kenya and especially a health clinic. Register your clinic with medical practitioners and dentists board before starting operations.

Otherwise, you may have problems registering it once you have commenced operations. It costs Ksh 1,000 application fee and Ksh 5,000 registration fee.

How to Register a Clinic in Kenya

The following are the requirements for registering a clinic in Kenya.

Pay Ksh 1,000 to get form IX and then fill it and have it signed by the provincial medical officer.
Attach business registration certificate
Submit an inspection report
Provide certified copies of professional qualifications of the staff working in the clinic
Provide architectural plans of the building certified by relevant authorities

Get Licenses

Once you have registered your clinic, you can go ahead to obtain licenses. To do so, you need to provide business registration certificate. An official will be sent to inspect your premises and ascertain that it complies with health requirements.

You will then be issued with a license if you have complied. There is a renewal fee for the medical practitioners and dentists license costing Ksh 10,000 every year.

Identify Business Location

You need to identify a good business location where you will be operating your clinic. A clinic works well in a densely populated areas with many households. You need to partition your clinic well so that you have an administrative office, a laboratory, ward, and a storage room. Therefore, make sure that the room is large enough to accommodate all these.

Hire Qualified Personnel

To operate a legal clinic in Kenya, you must hire qualified personnel. The people to operate it must have training in the medical field and have a practicing license. The personnel also need to have at least 2 years experience in the health field. You will need a doctor, a nurse and an office administrator in your clinic.

Launch Your Clinic

Once you have everything in place, you can go ahead and launch your clinic. You can open doctors to patients and start marketing your clinic. One of the ways to be start a successful clinic is by offering quality health services.

Also, make sure that you are friendly to patients. Patients prefer to visit health facilities where they are handled properly.

Cost of Starting a Clinic in Kenya

The cost of starting a clinic in Kenya depends with the size, services to offer, business location and number of employees to hire. To start a small general clinic, you will need at least Ksh 250,000. The startup capital will go into hiring premises, hiring staff, installing equipment, buying drugs, registering and obtaining licenses.

Summary of How to Start a Clinic Business

With the high demand for medical services, a clinic is a profitable venture to operate. However, you need to make sure that you are trained and have a practicing license to run one. You must also register your clinic and ensure that it meets all the necessary requirements. This way, you can run a successful clinic without having issues with the authorities.