NABH Accreditation for Allopathic Clinics and Polyclinics

Who the clinic programme covers

The Allopathic Clinics programme is for outpatient practices: general practitioners, specialist and group clinics, corporate and institutional dispensaries, and clinics that add services such as diagnostics, pharmacy or minor procedures. NABH's fee schedule distinguishes plain clinics and dispensaries from clinics with additional services. The 2nd Edition also covers day care, dermatology, diabetes clinics and standalone dialysis centres, which add a dialysis chapter; see our dialysis centre guide.

It does not cover non-allopathic systems — AYUSH clinics have their own entry-level programme — or standalone ophthalmology, imaging and dental centres, which have separate NABH programmes. If your clinic admits patients, you are a small healthcare organisation; see SHCO.

The standard and the process

The 2nd Edition, released in 2023, grades objective elements into Core, Commitment, Achievement and Excellence. The process:

1. Download the 2nd Edition standards.
2. Implement for at least three months.
3. Apply online with documents and fees.
4. On-site assessment by NABH assessors.
5. Accreditation granted, or corrective actions suggested.
6. Accreditation for four years, with a mid-term surveillance assessment at 21–24 months. The annual fee for all four years is paid at once, before the assessment, and renewal is applied for at least six months before expiry. (NABH's programme page mentions surveillance at 15–18 months; its brochure gives the four-year cycle, so we confirm the dates with NABH.)

Plus 18% GST.

What a NABH-ready clinic has in place

• Registration under your state's clinical establishments law, a valid biomedical waste authorisation and fire safety compliance.
• Patient registration, consultation and prescription records that are legible and retrievable.
• Clear consent for procedures, and patient rights displayed.
• A clean-to-dirty process for instruments, with sterilisation records if you reuse any.
• Medication storage with temperature logs for vaccines and refrigerated drugs, and expiry checks.
• An emergency tray, staff trained in basic life support and a referral arrangement.
• Simple quality indicators — waiting time, patient feedback, prescription audits — reviewed every month.

Clinics with an in-house laboratory may also want NABH medical laboratory certification or NABL accreditation.