How To Set Up A Nursing Home In Nigeria

There are different types of healthcare facilities in Nigeria, some are managed by the government, and others by private or joint owners. The most popular are hospitals, clinics, and Nursing Homes. In this article, you will read about How To Set Up A Nursing Home In Nigeria.

How To Set Up A Nursing Home In Nigeria

Clinics are small healthcare facilities where minor ailments and diagnoses 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-hour service. They can ONLY open for a maximum of 12 hours per day.

A nursing home is similar to a clinic but more specifically designed to cater to pregnant women and labor. 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-hour services.

Registration of clinics or primary health centers (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 license from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMH) to operate. Some states also have regulatory bodies that monitor the operation of clinics and Nursing Homes. An example is the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA).

Who is Eligible to Set Up A Nursing Home in Nigeria

There are only two healthcare professionals who can Set Up A Nursing Home In Nigeria and they are:

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 program. It’s expected that the doctor will have a minimum of 5 years of 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 of working experience can set up a clinic to handle minor cases

Requirements to Set Up a Nursing Home in Nigeria

Business Registration: it’s necessary that you begin by registering your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

Practice license: All Hospitals are expected to have a practicing license issued to the Doctor which is authorized by the Medical and Dental Council of NIGERIA (MDCN) and is subject to annual renewal

Professional Association: the doctor needs to get clearance from the Association of General Private Medical Practitioners (AGPMP) at the zonal office where he wants to establish his facility

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.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) recently said that a nurse with 5 years of working experience can set up a home care to handle minor medical cases. They, however, did not state the extent of these “minor medical cases”.

PS: It is an open secret that many hospitals in Nigeria are owned by nurses. They use a doctor’s practicing license 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 meters 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 services
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 meter 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 meters 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 meters 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 Instruments Needed:

Autoclave
Stethoscope
Sphygmomanometer
Dressing pack
Suturing pack
Delivery pack
Delivery bed, Patient bed, Baby cot, Drip stand
Drum set for the keeping of Gauze
Oxygen Cylinder plus oxygen
Glucometer (Accuchek)
Suctioning machine

Note these instruments are gotten according to your priority as patients begin to come in.

Qualified Professional Staff Required

One medical practitioner in-charge with a minimum of 5 years of post-qualification experience

One medical practitioner per shift

One Registered Nurse in charge of the nursing Service

One Registered Staff Nurse/Midwife or staff nurse per 8 in-patient beds per shift

One laboratory Assistant/Technician

One Registered pharmacist for a Hospital/pharmacy technician

Medical records and secretarial staff

Ward assistant or aids

Steps to Set Up A Nursing Home In Nigeria:

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!

Accommodation:

Get an accommodation in that location you have in mind and pay for it. Don’t forget there is recommended space you can use 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 a 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 and bush and free from any Threat of snakes and rodents If possible, get a fenced apartment, please.

Maintenance/Setup

Your reception must be neat and receptive too, and you must have a place for female patients, a place for Male patients, a place for delivery/theatre, a place giving Injection/Treatment room, and A consulting room mostly at the Dining 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.

Staffing

The number of staff is according to your shift the ministry of Health brochure will let you know but most times plus you 4 hospitals 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 a letter which you will take to the Ministry of Health to process your registration.

If you are settling for a Hospital, then your medical officer will need to get a letter from his association which is the Association of General Private Practitioners (AGPMP)

Registration

For maternity, to register with the Ministry of Health, you need the license of an RM, and two other health workers like CHEWS credentials, an Association (AGPNP) Letter, a Community endorsement letter, a 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 a 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, and Medical waste certificate (for Lagos state people), address of your facility and Letter of introduction informing them you have set up a facility.

Register Your Business

You need to go to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) office in your State is easier if you allow a lawyer to do it for you… Registering a business name with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is very different from registering with the State Ministry of Health. The Importance of registering your business name solely is because of Litigation and Global grants.

If you think this post can be helpful to somebody else, please share it using the buttons below!

Share 💞:

How To Set Up a Nursing Home as a Nurse In Nigeria (2024)

How To Set Up A Nursing Home In Nigeria