Unlike staffing, which can be fixed by hiring, the facility conditions of a general clinic are locked in at the premises lease: choose the wrong premises and no fit-out drawing can rescue the project. This article goes deep on the facility layer alone, covering area, spatial layout, equipment and mandatory infrastructure under the licensing conditions in Decree 96/2023/ND-CP.
Legal basis
- Decree 96/2023/ND-CP: facility and equipment conditions for the general clinic organisational form and for each specialty within the clinic.
- Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 15/2023/QH15: a facility must maintain facility conditions corresponding to its organisational form and registered professional scope.
- Fire safety law (Law 55/2024/QH15 and Decree 105/2025/ND-CP) and medical waste rules: infrastructure conditions attached to clinic premises.
Area and layout: how appraisers look at the floor plan
A general clinic must have floor area meeting the minimum prescribed for this organisational form, and, more importantly, a layout that evidences a medical workflow: reception and waiting separated from clinical zones; a dedicated examination room per registered specialty meeting area, lighting and ventilation standards; an independent emergency and observation area; procedure and minor-surgery rooms, where registered, meeting sterile conditions with a separate sterilisation zone; and corridors, stairs and escape routes allowing stretcher movement and fire safety. Appraisers measure on site and reconcile against the floor plan in the dossier; divergence between drawings and reality is the most frequently recorded defect. Because the specific minimum area is set in the conditions annex of Decree 96/2023/ND-CP for each organisational form, investors must check that annex directly when selecting premises rather than relying on other projects experience.
What equipment is mandatory?
The equipment list follows the principle of sufficiency for the registered technique list: each specialty must hold the minimum medical devices needed to perform its approved techniques, plus shared mandatory groups including basic emergency equipment (defibrillator, oxygen, intubation set), sterilisation equipment, instrument reprocessing systems, and laboratory and imaging equipment where those services are registered. All regulated medical devices must have lawful origin, a circulation number or import license under medical device management rules, and periodic verification and calibration with archived records. Leased or borrowed equipment is acceptable with a contract and an availability commitment during working hours, but equipment borrowed merely for appraisal day is a serious risk if discovered.
Conditions when leasing premises for a clinic
Leased premises must be a fixed location separated from household living space, under a lease of sufficient term for stable operation, with lawful title documents from the lessor. Investors should pre-check four points: whether the land and building function permits medical activity (units in purely residential apartment buildings usually fail); the building fire-safety status and feasibility of fire-design appraisal for the fit-out; the medical wastewater system and a hazardous medical waste collection contract; and separate patient circulation where the building is shared. Fit-out cost to medical standards usually far exceeds early estimates, so an early-termination clause for failure of fire or health appraisal should be negotiated into the lease itself.
Is provisional licensing available if standards are not yet met?
There is no provisional license for a clinic that has not met facility conditions. Licensing rests on actual appraisal results: pass and the license issues; fail and the facility must complete the works and request re-appraisal. Any medical activity before licensing is unlicensed practice and sanctioned accordingly. The only realistic way to shorten the timeline is to design correctly from the start: engage a healthcare design consultant, check the conditions annex of Decree 96/2023/ND-CP specialty by specialty, and seek the appraisal authority comments on drawings before fit-out.
Frequently asked questions
What minimum area does a general clinic need?
Floor area must meet the minimum in the conditions annex of Decree 96/2023/ND-CP for the general clinic form, and the layout must support a medical workflow for every registered specialty. Check the annex directly when selecting premises.
What equipment is mandatory?
The minimum devices of each specialty matching the registered technique list, plus basic emergency equipment, sterilisation equipment, and laboratory and imaging equipment where those services are registered. Devices need lawful origin, circulation numbers or import licenses, and periodic calibration.
What conditions apply to leased clinic premises?
A fixed location separated from housing, a sufficiently long lease, building function permitting medical activity, fire-safety compliance and a wastewater and medical waste plan. Units in purely residential towers usually do not qualify.
Can a clinic get a provisional license if it does not meet the standards?
No. There is no provisional licensing; the facility must complete the works and be re-appraised. Operating before licensing is sanctioned as unlicensed medical practice.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council