Sindh Healthcare Commission licence for clinics
Every clinic, lab, dental practice and hospital in Sindh, from a one-doctor chamber in Karachi to a hospital in Sukkur, has to register with the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) and then get a licence. Here are the steps, the standards and the 2024 fees, from SHCC’s own pages.
Who needs to register
Under section 13(1) of the Sindh Healthcare Commission Act 2013, a healthcare service provider may not provide services without being registered with SHCC. The law calls each one a healthcare establishment (HCE), and the list is wide: hospitals, diagnostic centres, medical clinics, nursing and maternity homes, dental, homeopathic, tibb, acupuncture and physiotherapy clinics.
This applies in the public and private sectors alike, and to a single-doctor clinic as much as to a hospital. Your PMDC registration licenses you as a doctor; the SHCC licence is for the premises where you practise.
How to get an SHCC licence
SHCC moved registration and licensing online in June 2025, with the Sindh Business One Stop Shop (SBOSS). You can still get the forms from the SHCC website or its office.
- Register the clinic. Fill in SHCC’s registration form with the documents it asks for. SHCC says it issues the Certificate of Registration within 30 days of accepting the application.
- Receive the Sindh Service Delivery Standards (SSDS) for your type of facility, and nominate at least two staff members for SHCC’s training on them.
- Apply for a provisional licence within 30 days of your registration certificate, with the prescribed form, documents and fee.
- SHCC inspects the clinic against the SSDS and sends you its list of gaps in writing, within about two weeks.
- Fix the gaps. The provisional licence lasts six months and can be renewed once for six more months.
- At least three months after the provisional licence, SHCC gives ten days’ notice and inspects again.
- If you meet the SSDS, apply for a regular licence. SHCC says it issues it within 30 days of the application.
SHCC fees for clinics
These are from SHCC’s revised fee structure, effective 1 August 2024, for the most common clinic types. The registration fee is PKR 1,000 for these clinics, labs and pharmacies, PKR 5,000 for a hospital of up to 25 beds and PKR 25,000 above that. The full schedule also covers labs with collection centres, imaging, cosmetic clinics and larger hospitals.
| Type of establishment | Provisional licence | Regular licence (5 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Family physician or single-doctor GP clinic | PKR 5,000 | PKR 10,000 |
| Single specialty clinic | PKR 5,000 | PKR 15,000 |
| Poly clinic | PKR 10,000 | PKR 40,000 |
| Dental clinic, single chair | PKR 5,000 | PKR 10,000 |
| Dental clinic, up to 8 chairs | PKR 8,000 | PKR 30,000 |
| Maternity or nursing home | PKR 5,000 | PKR 10,000 |
| Pathology lab, no collection points | PKR 4,000 | PKR 20,000 |
| Pharmacy or medical store | PKR 4,000 | PKR 20,000 |
| Hospital, 1 to 10 beds | PKR 10,000 | PKR 25,000 |
| Hospital, 11 to 25 beds | PKR 20,000 | PKR 50,000 |
| Hospital, 26 to 50 beds | PKR 50,000 | PKR 100,000 |
Licence fees are not refundable and are paid with the application. A follow-up inspection costs PKR 3,000 the first time and PKR 5,000 the second for a clinic, and urgent processing is PKR 5,000. Charitable establishments can apply to SHCC’s Board for a discount.
Renewal, and keeping the licence on show
- Display the regular licence where patients, staff and visitors can see it. SHCC treats this as a formal requirement.
- Apply to renew a regular licence at least three months before it expires.
- Apply to renew a provisional licence at least one month before it expires.
- A licensed clinic stays open to periodic inspection by SHCC’s surveyors.
If you do not comply
If a clinic does not put the SSDS in place within the time it was given, SHCC may fine it up to PKR 500,000 or order it closed until it meets the standards. A clinic refused a licence, or a renewal, can appeal and has the right to a fair hearing under the Act.
SHCC also runs anti-quackery raids across Sindh and seals premises run by unqualified people, so keep your own registration, your doctors’ PMDC numbers and your licence papers where an inspector can see them.
Records help at inspection
Inspectors look at how a clinic actually runs day to day, not only its paperwork on the day. Keep patient records, prescriptions, consent forms, staff credentials and your daily bills organised and easy to find, and check every doctor you employ on the PMDC register.
What to do next
Run your clinic on SehatDoc
Appointments, records, prescriptions and billing in one system. From PKR 4,000 a month. See the clinic management software.
Common questions
Still unsure? Send us the question and a person will answer it.
Does a single-doctor clinic in Karachi need an SHCC licence?
Yes. Every healthcare establishment in Sindh, public or private, has to register with SHCC and get a licence. SHCC’s 2024 schedule lists PKR 10,000 for a five-year regular licence for a family physician or single-doctor GP clinic.
Is SHCC registration free?
Older SHCC guidance says no fee is charged at registration, but its revised fee structure effective 1 August 2024 lists a PKR 1,000 registration fee for most clinics, and PKR 5,000 or more for hospitals. Confirm with SHCC before you apply.
How long does an SHCC licence take?
Registration takes up to 30 days after SHCC accepts your application. SHCC then allows up to six months from the provisional licence to the regular licence, depending on its inspection schedule.
How long is an SHCC licence valid?
A provisional licence lasts six months and can be renewed once. A regular licence lasts five years. Apply to renew it at least three months before it expires.
What is SSDS?
Sindh Service Delivery Standards: the standards SHCC sets for each type of healthcare facility. Inspectors check your clinic against them before giving a regular licence.
Can I apply for SHCC registration online?
Yes. Since June 2025, SHCC registration and licensing can be done online through the Sindh Business One Stop Shop (SBOSS). The forms are also on the SHCC website.
How do I contact the Sindh Healthcare Commission?
SHCC lists its free helpline as 0800 07422 and its email as info@shcc.org.pk on shcc.org.pk.
My clinic is in Punjab. Does this apply?
No. This guide is for Sindh only. Punjab clinics are licensed by the Punjab Healthcare Commission, which has its own steps and fees.
Start with tomorrow’s patients
From PKR 4,000 a month, billed in rupees. Setup and staff training are included, and most of the setup is done in an afternoon.