There are different types of healthcare facilities in Nigeria. Some are managed by the government and the others by private or joint owners. The two most popular are hospital and clinic and Nursing Home. In this article you will read on How To Set Up A Clinic or Home care As A Nurse In Nigeria 2023/2024
How To Set Up A Clinic or Home care As A Nurse In Nigeria 2023/2024
Clinics are small health care facilities where minor ailments and diagnosis can be done and thereafter treated. They are meant to handle our patients. Premises where medical care is given on out-patient basis and observation purposes before referral or transfer to a hospital for further management. These establishments are not allowed to run 24 hours service. They can ONLY open for a maximum of 12 hours per day.
Nursing home is similar to a clinic but more specifically designed to cater for pregnant women and labour. Premises where maternal and child care services are provided including ante-natal, delivery and post-natal care, with bed care and nursing services. They are allowed to run 24 hours services.
Registration of clinics or primary health centres (PHC) in Nigeria is done by the government using the name of the government. It is simple and straightforward. But we are talking about private clinics.
The clinic and Nursing Home must be registered with the corporate affairs commission (CAC). Then after getting a licence from the federal ministry of health (FMH) to operate. Some states also have regulatory bodies that monitor the operation or clinic and Nursing Home. Example is Lagos state health facility monitoring accreditation agency (HEFAMAA).
Who are eligible to set up clinic or Nursing home in Nigeria
There are only two health care professionals that can open and operate a clinic and Nursing Home.
Doctor: He/she should possess a minimum Educational qualification of bachelor of Medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS), and must have completed his/her medical internship programmed. It’s expected that the doctor will have minimum of 5yrs working experience as the operating officer of the facility.
Nurses: he/she should be a Registered nurse with the Nursing And Midwifery Council of Nigeria. According to NMCN, Any registered and properly trained nurse with a minimum of five years working experience can set up a clinic to handle minor cases
Requirements for established clinic or Nursing home in Nigeria
Business Registration: it’s necessary that you begin by registering your business with corporate affairs commission (CAC)
Practice licence: All Hospitals are expected to have a practicing licence issued to the Doctor which is authorized by medical and dental Council of NIGERIA (MDCN) and is subject to annual renewal
Professional Association: the doctor need to get a clearance from Association of general private medical practioners (AGPMP) at the zonal office of where he want to established his facility
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Authorization: the federal ministry of health will have to confirm that you have the required qualifications that give you the legal right to operate a Hospital in Nigeria
Can a Nurse own a Hospital in Nigeria
Can a nurse own a hospital in Nigeria? Other than medical doctors, Are nurses permitted to open a hospital or clinic?
Many people have asked me this very important question and it has become somewhat controversial. The law is however, clear on who is permitted to open a private clinic in Nigeria… Only a certified medical doctor with many years of practicing medicine post graduation (at least 5 years of practice) is permitted by law to own or establish a private hospital. A nurse cannot own a private hospital in Nigeria. Same with a pharmacist, CHEW and even a lab scientist. Registered Nurses especially midwives are however, backed by law to start or open a maternity home where they can take deliveries and attend to other pregnancy needs like antenatal services and even vaccinations.
Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) recently said that a nurse with 5 years working experience can set up a clinic to handle minor medical cases. They however, did not state the extent of this “minor medical cases”.
PS: It is an open secret that many hospitals in Nigeria are owned by nurses. They use a doctor’s practicing licence to establish a private hospital —-they open the hospital in a doctor’s name. It is still illegal. I won’t go further than this. I don’t want controversy.
Minimum Requirements for established health facility
PART A: Out-patient
- Waiting/Reception Area 4 x 3 metres with the following in place:
- Sitting facilities
- Registration table
- Record keeping facilities (preferably digital).
- Consulting Room of 4 x 3 metres with:
- Examination couch and screen for physical examination
- Proper hand washing facilities with disposable serviettes
- Appropriate medical waste management.
- Treatment Room of 4 x 3 metres with the following in place:
- Treatment couch (optional)
- Proper hand washing facilities
- Appropriate medical waste management.
- Trolley containing various instruments and articles as needed by the facility.
PART B: Equipment
Basic Hospital equipment required are:
- Suction machine
- Oxygen Cylinders (complete with flow metre and other apparatus for administration)
- Oxygen concentrator
- Autoclave
- Patient monitors
- Any other Hospital Equipment/Instrument that may enhance the services of the facility.
PART C: In-Patient
- Small operating theatre (optional) not less than 4 x 3 metres for minor day surgeries needing local anesthesia only.
- Observation room with not more than 2 beds (optional) and a minimum distance of 1 x 3 metres between 2 beds.
PART D: Diagnostic Facilities
Facilities for Basic Diagnostic Investigations (e.g. Side room Laboratory) such as:
- Blood – e.g. Hemoglobin, Full Blood Count, Blood sugar serum electrolytes, urea etc.
- Urine and stool test i.e. Urinalysis, Stool examination.
- RDTS: Malaria Parasite, HIV
Some of the instrument you need to get are:
- Autoclave #80k
- Stethoscope #5k or 2k
- Sphygmomanometer #12k #18k #25k
- Dressing pack #10k
- Suturing pack #8k
- Delivery pack #25k
- Delivery bed, Patient bed, Baby cot, Drip stand, all at #120k (An iron bender or welder can construct that)
- Drum set for keping of Gauze #5k
- Oxygen Cylinder plus oxygen #40k
- Glucometer (Accuchek) #10k
- Suctioning machine #50k
Note these instrument are gotten according to your priority as patient begin to come in.
QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL STAFF REAUIRED TO BE EMPLOYED
- One medical practioners in-cahrge with minimum of 5years post qualification experience
- One medical practioner per shift
- One Registered Nurse in- charge of nursing Service
- One Registered staff Nurse/Midwife or staff nurse per 8 in-patients beds per shift
- One laboratory Assistant/Technician
- One Registered pharmacist for a Hospital/pharmacy technician
- Medical records and secretarial staff
- Ward assistant or aids
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SETTING UP A FACILITY, THE FIRST STEP IS:
GOOD LOCATION you can’t be in Kano and your facility is in Sokoto… It has to be in your environment where you are used to. The environment that is also populated because of patronage don’t forget as much as you want to serve the community, you are also in to make money!
ACCOMODATION Get an accommodation in that location you have in mind and pay for it…. Don’t forget there is recommended space you can used for a Nursing home/Maternity/Hospital. The recommendation is it should not be less than 3 to 4 bedroom flat. So that a male patient is in one room and female patient is in another room… Not combining a male and female patient together
SAFETY MEASURES ensure the accommodated apartment is in a safe Location from flooding, Bush and free from any Threat of snakes and rodents…. If possible, get a fenced apartment please.🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
MAINTAINANCE/SET UP: your reception must be neat and well receptive too, and you must have a place for female patient, a place for Male patient, a place for delivery/theatre, a place giving Injection/Treatment room, A consulting room mostly at the Dinning side of the reception, Then you can find a place as pharmacy or dispensary where you will be keeping your drugs… Toilet and bathroom too.
SOUGHTING FOR STAFFS the number of staffs is according to your shift the ministry of health brochure will let you know but most times plus you 4 hospital 5
ASSOCIATION for a Nursing home, the moment you get a location and you have started, you can now locate the Association leader in your community or state and attend their meetings… They will give you letter which you will take to ministry of health to process you registratio. If you are settling for an Hospital, then your medical officer will need to get a letter from his association which is ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AGPMP
REGISTRATION: For a maternity, to register it with ministry of health, you need the license of an RM, and two other health workers like CHEWS credentials, Association (AGPNP) Letter, Community endorsement letter, Medical waste certificate (for Lagos state people), address of your facility and Letter of introduction informing them you have set up a facility.
For a Nursing Home/Convalescent centre, Your RN license, and two other health workers like CHEWS credentials, Association (AGPNP) Letter, Community endorsement letter, Medical waste certificate (for Lagos state people), address of your facility and Letter of introduction informing them you have set up a facility.
For an Hospital, The medical officer license, your RN or RM either one if you have both Perfect, and two other health workers like CHEWS credentials, Association (AGPMP) Letter, Community endorsement letter, Medical waste certificate (for Lagos state people), address of your facility and Letter of introduction informing them you have set up a facility.
TO REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS NAME: you need to go to corporate affairs commission (CAC) office in your State is more easier if you allow a lawyer do it for you… Registering a business name is with Corporate affairs commission (CAC) and is very much more different from registering with the state ministry of health. The Important of registering your business name solely is because of Litigation and Global grant.
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