Setting up a general physician’s (GP) clinic requires some planning to match budget with needs. As the doctor(s) should know what to expect, they are your first source of advice regarding the kind of equipment that will be necessary to set up the clinic. If we are discussing your own solo practice, that should technically make things even simpler.

At the same time though, even the most brilliant young doctor is not expected to be a grand businessman right away, because they don’t educate and train physicians to run companies at medical school! After all, running a private clinic of any kind is essentially a business and you cannot run a business without thinking like a businessman. With that perspective in mind, let us take a quick look through some of the most essential medical equipment that every GP clinic should have in 2022.

Blood Pressure Monitors

Thanks to advancements that are constantly being made in medical diagnostic technology, we can now buy fully digital, all-in-one blood pressure monitors online at a fraction of what they used to cost just a few years ago. Ensure that there are BP cuffs available at the clinic in different sizes.

Stethoscopes

Even though general physicians do not necessarily have to invest in an expensive cardiologist’s stethoscope, it is best to have at least one of those in the clinic for heart patients. Other than that, the classic dual head stethoscopes will do just fine.

Otoscopes

Otoscopes or auriscopes are in constant need of disposable tips, so it is important to always make sure that the physician(s) never runs out of them while in the middle of their clinic hours.

Thermometers

Infrared thermometers are the way to go now, especially since we are in the middle of an ongoing pandemic.

Autoclaves

All non-disposable medical equipment must be sterilised in ways appropriate for the device in question and autoclaves are necessary equipment for sterilising metallic tools at the clinic like scalpels, tuning forks, needle holders, and forceps to name a few.

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Device

UVGI devices have become a standard item for disinfecting sensitive electronic tools and equipment, in addition to almost all surfaces (walls, floors, tables, platforms, beds, etc.).

Other Standard Equipment Needed in a GP’s Clinic

  • X-ray screen/light boxes
  • Standard, laminated vision test panels
  • Digital weight scales
  • Medical furniture such as patient examination beds, stools, and wheelchairs
  • General furniture such as chairs, benches, tables, lamps, paperweights, etc.
  • Standard medical tools such as suture kits, disposables needles and syringes, scissors, reflex hammers, collection tubes, scalpels, flashlights, etc.
  • Disinfectants, hand sanitisers, OTC & emergency meds (not the same as pharmacy)

Keep in mind that a lot depends on the clinic’s size, the number of rooms it has, and the kind of specialties that the clinic claims to have. For example, an X-ray machine or an ECG are not necessary equipment if the clinic is primarily a consultation room. However, a more complete collection of medical devices at a general physician’s office is convenient and beneficial for both patients and doctors.