How to choose a location for a clinic Footfall, floor, parking, the chemist next door, permitted use and the minimum standard for space.

Choose a clinic location by working back from the patients: where they live, how they reach you, and at what hours. Then check the premises against three hard limits: the building may lawfully be used as a clinic, it meets the space and facility standard your state's clinical establishment law sets, and it lets you put up a proper board. Rent comes after those. The rest of this post takes each check in turn. Exact rents and footfall vary too much by city to quote, so the advice below is about what to observe, not numbers.

Who will walk in, and from where?

A general practice lives on people who can walk or take a short auto ride, often in the evening after work. A specialist clinic depends more on referrals and on patients willing to travel, so being easy to find and easy to park at matters more than being on the busiest street. Before choosing, spend a weekday evening and a Sunday morning at the spot. Count who passes, note where the autos stop, and see which other clinics, labs and chemists are within a few minutes' walk.

• Residential density within walking distance, and whether families with children and older people live there.
• Schools, offices or factories nearby, which shape your busy hours and the certificates you will be asked for.
• Other doctors in the same lane: a cluster can bring footfall, but five GPs on one road split it.
• Access after dark: lighting, a safe approach, and whether the market shuts at 8 PM while your evening OPD runs till 9.

What should you look for in the building itself?

Is there a minimum space requirement for a clinic?

In states that follow the central Clinical Establishments Act, 2010, the Ministry of Health's Standard for a consultation-only clinic or polyclinic (CEA/Clinic-008) sets the floor. Annexure 1 asks for about 35 sq ft carpet area for reception and waiting, and 70 sq ft carpet area for the consultation room including storage. The 70 sq ft is for one consultation room "and shall be multiplied accordingly by the number of consultation chambers". The note under the table adds that reception, waiting and consultation space "shall be adequate as per the requirement and workload of the clinic".

Those are minimums for a quiet single-doctor clinic. A busy evening OPD needs far more waiting space than 35 sq ft, and a clinic that does dressings or minor procedures needs room for a couch with a screen. States with their own clinical establishment laws may set different standards. Our post on clinic layout for a small OPD turns these figures into a room plan.

Can a clinic run from a residential flat or house?

That depends on your city's building and zoning rules, not on medical law. Para 3.1 of the clinic standard says the premises "shall comply with local byelaws in force". Before you sign, ask the municipal body or a local architect whether the building may be used for a clinic, and check the society's or landlord's rules. The clinical establishment application, the trade licence and the fire authority may each ask for proof that the use is allowed; see our post on fire NOC and trade licence for clinics.

Put the permitted use in the lease, along with who pays for the board, the ramp and any electrical work, and how long a notice the landlord must give. A clinic that has to move in year two loses the patients who only knew the address.

Should the clinic be next to a chemist or a lab?

A chemist and a collection centre within a short walk help patients, who can buy medicines and give samples without a second trip. Two rules limit how close the tie can be. Regulation 7.13 of the 2002 conduct regulations says it is "improper to affix a sign-board on a chemist's shop or in places where he does not reside or work". And regulation 6.4.1 bars a doctor from receiving any commission or bonus for referring patients, which regulation 6.4.2 extends to specimens sent for tests. A chemist downstairs is fine. A rent waiver from that chemist in return for your prescriptions is not.

The Charter of Patients' Rights adopted by the National Council for Clinical Establishments also gives patients the right to choose where they buy medicines and get tests done. Write your prescriptions so they can be filled at any chemist.

How do you weigh rent against location?

Treat rent as a monthly cost the clinic has to earn back from consultations. A cheaper first-floor room off the main road can cost more in lost patients than it saves in rent. Our post on the cost of opening a clinic has a worksheet for deposit, rent, fit-out and working capital.

Location checklist before you sign

1. Visited at your planned OPD hours, on a weekday and a weekend.
2. Ground floor or a working lift; step-free entry or a ramp.
3. Parking for two-wheelers, and an auto stand within a short walk.
4. Frontage where a board can be seen from the road.
5. Water, a toilet, light, ventilation and a power backup option.
6. Space at least at the minimum standard for your state, plus room for the queue you expect.
7. Written confirmation from the municipal body or an architect that clinic use is allowed in the building.
8. Lease that names clinic use, sets the notice period and allows the board.
9. No arrangement with a chemist, lab or landlord tied to referrals.