Clinic software for Karachi clinics and the SHCC standards
Every private clinic in Sindh has to register with the Sindh Healthcare Commission and work towards a licence, and the commission's standards are unusually specific about records. Its standards for GP and specialty clinics spell out what has to be written down and kept, which makes it easy to check whether your clinic's paperwork would hold up.
Below is what SHCC asks for, taken from its own website and published standards, and how much of it FindClinica covers. It isn't legal advice; check shcc.org.pk for the current rules and fees.
Updated
Registering and licensing with SHCC
The Sindh Healthcare Commission was created by the Sindh Healthcare Commission Act, 2013 (published in 2014), and registration of healthcare establishments is mandatory under it. Registration can be applied for through the Sindh Business One Stop Shop portal.
The steps on SHCC's site are: register (the certificate comes within 30 days), receive the standards and nominate at least two staff for training, apply within 30 days for a provisional licence that lasts six months, then an inspection. SHCC sends any deficiencies in writing and re-inspects at least three months later before issuing a regular licence valid for five years.
SHCC's fee structure (in effect since 1 August 2024) lists, for a single-doctor GP clinic or a single-chair dental clinic, Rs 1,000 for registration, Rs 5,000 for the provisional licence and Rs 10,000 for the regular licence. A dental clinic with up to eight chairs pays Rs 1,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 30,000.
What the standards say you must record
SHCC's Minimum Service Delivery Standards for GP and Specialty Consultant Clinics have 24 standards and 58 criteria. On records, they ask for:
| What SHCC's standards ask for | In FindClinica |
|---|---|
| A record for every patient (computer, file, card or prescription copy), kept for at least six months | Every patient has a file with dated visits; records stay until you delete them |
| Vitals, complaints, treatment and follow-up documented | Complaint, history, allergies, investigations, diagnosis, treatment and follow-ups on each visit. There is no separate vitals field; note them in the visit |
| Prescriptions recorded, or a copy kept | Every prescription sent is kept on the patient's file with its date and time |
| Copies of referral letters kept | Photos of letters and reports go in the patient's gallery; a record printout can go with a referral |
| A daily OPD register | Visits and appointments are dated, and today's appointments show on the home screen. There is no printed daily OPD register as such |
| Staff files with qualifications, council registration and training | Staff list with role, CNIC, qualification and pay type; doctors with their PMDC number |
| Infectious waste sent for incineration, with a record kept | Waste disposal log: date, waste type, quantity, location and who authorised it |
| A complaint register with date, nature, outcome and complainant | Complaints QR and register, with status and resolution notes |
| Adverse drug reactions recorded and reported to DRAP | Can be recorded as a sentinel event (severe drug allergic reaction); reporting to DRAP is done by you |
| Expiry dates checked (clinics with a dispensary) | Drug inventory with batch and expiry, and a list of what expires within 90 days |
From SHCC's MSDS for GP and Specialty Consultant Clinics. We found no separate dental standard on SHCC's standards page.
The older SHCC standards for clinics and primary healthcare facilities (2017) also ask for unique patient IDs and for sentinel events to be managed. FindClinica gives every patient an ID, which is printed on their prescriptions as a QR code, and has a sentinel events register with root cause and corrective action.
Healthcare waste in Sindh
Healthcare waste in Sindh falls under the Sindh Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2014. Whatever arrangement you have with a waste contractor, the standard expects you to keep a record. The waste disposal log takes a few seconds per entry: choose infectious, sharps, general, pharmaceutical, chemical or pathological, note the bags or weight, and pick the staff member who authorised it.
Complaints
A patient can take a complaint to SHCC in writing, on oath; the commission's inquiry committee looks into it. Having your own complaint register is part of the standards anyway, and FindClinica's complaints QR code gives patients a quick way to raise something with you first, anonymously if they prefer. Each complaint gets a ticket number and a status you update as you resolve it.
Load-shedding and connections
NEPRA's latest yearly report has K-Electric reporting about five hours of load-shedding a day on average across its area. FindClinica keeps working on the phone without internet and syncs when the connection is back, so the waiting room doesn't stop when the router does. Sending a prescription is the one thing that needs a connection.
Getting started
Install FindClinica on your Android phone and start on the free plan, which has no limit on patients and includes the desktop app for reception. Pro is PKR 2,000 a month and adds appointment reminders; Premium is PKR 5,000 a month with three connected devices. You pay in rupees by bank transfer or QR code, and our team answers on WhatsApp at +92 316 4251804. See all plans.
Common questions
Does FindClinica make my clinic SHCC compliant?
No software can. Licensing depends on your premises, staff, equipment and practice. FindClinica covers much of the record keeping in the standards, and the table above shows where it doesn't.
How long are patient records kept?
Until you delete them. SHCC's standard asks for at least six months; most clinics keep records far longer.
Can I print the registers for an inspection?
Yes. The drug inventory, waste disposal, sterilization log, sentinel events and complaints each print as a report.
Is there a version in Urdu?
The app screens are in English. Prescriptions carry an Urdu note about side effects, and the aftercare instructions you send patients come in Urdu and English.
Read next
- Clinic management software in Pakistan
- Dental clinic software in Pakistan
- Clinic software in Lahore
- Clinic software in Islamabad
- EMR software for small clinics
- Plans and prices
More for clinics in Pakistan
- Dental Clinic Software in Pakistan
- Clinic Management Software in Pakistan
- EMR Software in Pakistan for Small Clinics
- Prescription Software for Doctors in Pakistan
- Patient Record App for Doctors
- Paper Register vs Excel vs Clinic Software
- Best Clinic Software in Pakistan, Compared
- Clinic Management App for Android
- Clinic Software in Lahore
- Clinic Software in Islamabad
- Software for Clinics With More Than One Doctor
- Online Prescription Maker for Doctors
Free tools and templates
Sources
- Sindh Healthcare Commission Act, 2013 (Sindh Act VII of 2014)
- SHCC registration
- SHCC process of licensing
- SHCC fee structure
- SHCC Sindh Service Delivery Standards
- SHCC MSDS for GP and Specialty Consultant Clinics
- SHCC standards for clinics and primary healthcare facilities
- SHCC complaints management process
- Sindh Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2014
- NEPRA Performance Evaluation Report 2024-25, distribution companies
Try it with your next patient
The free plan costs nothing and has no time limit. Install it and add one patient, or ask us anything on WhatsApp first.