How to Increase Patients in Your Clinic: 10 Ethical Ways That Work in India
Ten ways for clinics in India to get more patients within medical council rules: Google profile, online booking, shorter waits, follow-ups and honest reviews.
By OPDly Team · Updated 10 Oct 2026 · 7 min read
Quick answer: most clinics grow by making it easy to find them, easy to book, and pleasant to come back. Keep an accurate Google Business Profile, let patients book online and on WhatsApp, cut waiting time, and remind patients about follow-ups. Avoid the shortcuts that break the medical council's rules — self-promoting ads, touts, referral commissions and paid or fake reviews.
Here are ten ways that work for clinics and small hospitals in India, and what to stay away from.
First, know the rules
The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, which the National Medical Commission continues to apply, set clear limits:
- Soliciting patients, directly or indirectly, is unethical (clause 6.1.1). That covers ads that promote your skill, qualifications or achievements, and boasting about cases or cures.
- You may make a formal announcement in the press when you start practice, change the type of practice, change address, are temporarily away, resume or take over a practice, or publicly declare your charges.
- Your photograph or other publicity material on the letterhead or signboard is treated as self-advertisement (clause 6.1.2).
- A nursing home or hospital may advertise in the press, limited to its name, type of patients admitted, facilities and fees (clause 7.12).
- Commissions for referrals — giving or taking — are not allowed (clause 6.4.1).
Medical councils do act on this: doctors have received notices and suspensions over advertisements. Everything below stays inside these rules.
1. Make your Google Business Profile accurate and complete
When people search "doctor near me" or "skin specialist in [area]", Google shows nearby clinics with their profile. Claim and verify yours, and fill in:
- the exact name on your signboard, category, address and map pin
- OPD days and timings, including holidays — wrong timings lose patients fast
- a phone number that is answered during OPD hours
- your booking link, and photos of the clinic — reception, waiting area, entrance — so first-time patients recognise it
2. Ask every patient for feedback — and never pay for reviews
Reviews help new patients choose. Google's rules allow businesses to invite reviews, but not to ask only happy patients, and not to offer anything in return. A simple, fair way: a small card or QR code at the billing counter that invites every patient to share feedback. Never write reviews yourself or ask staff to, and reply politely to negative reviews without revealing any patient details.
3. Let patients book online and on WhatsApp
Many patients prefer to book without calling. A booking page with your doctors and OPD timings, a QR code at the reception and on your prescription, and a WhatsApp number that someone actually replies to, all bring in patients who would otherwise go elsewhere.
4. Cut the waiting time
Waiting time is one of the main complaints in surveys of OPD patients, and patients tell others about it. A fair token queue, appointment times and a live queue link on the patient's phone change the experience completely. See our guides to reducing OPD waiting time and token systems for clinics.
5. Bring patients back for follow-ups
Returning patients are the largest part of most OPDs. Write a clear follow-up date on every prescription, book it before the patient leaves, and send a reminder the evening before. Patients with chronic conditions — diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid — especially value a clinic that remembers them.
6. Give clear prescriptions and instructions
A legible prescription with dose, timing and duration in words — in the patient's own language where possible — means fewer mistakes and more trust. See what a prescription in India must include.
7. Build honest professional relationships
Other doctors, labs and pharmacists refer patients to clinics they trust. Send clear referral letters, share reports promptly, and call back when a referring doctor asks. Keep it strictly professional — no commissions or "cuts" in either direction.
8. Use the announcements you are allowed
When you start a practice, move to a new address or add a new type of practice, a formal press announcement is permitted. A hospital or nursing home may advertise its name, facilities and fees. Keep the content factual, without claims about skills or cures.
9. Make the first visit smooth
First impressions decide whether a patient returns: a clean waiting area, staff who greet patients, a quick registration, a clear bill with UPI accepted, and a printed prescription. Ask one question at registration — "How did you hear about us?" — so you know what is working.
10. Measure what matters
Once a month, look at:
| Number | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| New patients | Whether people are finding you |
| Returning patients | Whether people are coming back |
| Follow-ups booked vs. attended | Whether reminders are working |
| Average waiting time | Whether the experience is improving |
| Where new patients heard of you | Which efforts to keep |
What not to do
- Ads or posts that promote your skill, success rates, "best doctor" titles or cures
- Paying touts, agents or other doctors for referrals
- Offering discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews, or asking only satisfied patients to review
- Writing fake reviews, or having staff and family write them
- Putting your photograph on the signboard or letterhead
How OPDly helps: OPDly gives every hospital a free public page with your doctors and OPD timings, online booking requests and a QR code for reception and prescriptions. Patients get WhatsApp confirmations, a live queue link and an evening-before reminder, follow-ups can be booked at the end of the consultation, and prescriptions print clearly in English, Hindi or Marathi. Start a free 30-day trial or see online booking and QR.
Frequently asked questions
Can doctors advertise in India?
Individual doctors may not advertise in a way that promotes their skills, qualifications or achievements, or solicit patients. They may make formal press announcements when starting practice, changing address and in a few other situations. Nursing homes and hospitals may advertise their name, facilities and fees.
Is it allowed to ask patients for Google reviews?
Inviting patients to share feedback is generally fine, but Google's policies do not allow offering anything in exchange for reviews or asking only satisfied patients. Invite every patient the same way, and never post or arrange fake reviews.
What is the fastest way to get more patients for a new clinic?
Make sure people can find and book you: a complete Google Business Profile with correct timings, a phone that is answered, online and WhatsApp booking, and a formal announcement when you open. Then focus on short waits and follow-ups so early patients come back and recommend you.
Do follow-up reminders really bring patients back?
Yes. Many patients intend to come back but forget the date. A follow-up booked before they leave, plus a reminder the evening before, is one of the simplest ways to keep returning patients.
Are referral commissions allowed?
No. Giving or receiving a commission, gift or bonus for referring a patient, or for sending samples for tests, is not allowed under the medical council's rules.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check with your State Medical Council if you are unsure whether a specific announcement or listing is allowed. Last updated 10 October 2026.
Sources: Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, clauses 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.4.1 and 7.12 · Google Maps user-generated content policy on fake engagement.